BASEBALL THEN

• Babe Ruth and Gil hodges celebrate after a score

BASEBALL NOW

• Sunset at Fenway park Boston, Massachusetts

IN THE BEGINNING

• The first form of baseball was played in England in the mid 18th century
• The first recorded game with codified rules was on June 4th 1838

THE WORLD SERIES

• The first World Series was in 1903
• It was between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston americans
• Boston Upset Pittsburgh 5 games to 3

A LOOK AT WHAT BASEBALL GLOVES USED TO LOOK LIKE

BABE RUTH

• Ruth played 22 seasons in the mlb from 1914-1935
• he played for the Boston redsox from 1914-1919 and from 1920-1934 he played for the New York Yankees and in his last season, he played for the Boston Braves in 1935

BABE RUTHS CALLED SHOT

• In game 5 of the 1932 World Series, Ruth made a gesture towards centerfield saying that he would hit a home run to center field. On the next pitch, he hit his 15th and last postseason hr
• http://youtu.be/FwIlNSi3x7c

HOW BABE RUTH CHANGED BASEBALL

• Babe Ruth was famous for his home runs
• After Ruth, the game basically revolved around the home run

LOU GHERIG

• First basemen of the New York Yankees from 1923-1939
• In 1939 Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS and he had to end his career
• He spent the rest of his life speaking at correctional facilities

HOW THE 1920S MADE BASEBALL

• 1. Radio – during the 1920s, radios could now be massed produced, and massed produced cheaply. It was the way to get the information about the game. Many families in the Midwest and the Mideast tuned in to hear some of the greats of radio bring the game to life.

HOW THE 1920S MADE BASEBALL

• 2. newspapers – during the 1920s, many national newspapers began to have their own sports sections solely devoted the game. While pro football was in its infancy and basketball not even a national sport yet, baseball had the advantage in the pages of the newspapers.

HOW THE 1920S MADE BASEBALL

• 3. stability – by the end of the decade, the teams of the next 30 years were established. Until expansion arrived in the 1960s, the league itself did not change much for over three decades until the Dodgers and Giants moved west.

HOW THE 1920S MADE BASEBALL

• 4. Cork – the ball was now being made with a cork center instead of being wound. This changed the emphasis of the game from pitching and defense to hitting.

HOW THE 1920S MADE BASEBALL

• 5. The Negro Leagues – starting in 1920, the National Negro Leagues provided an opportunity for some of the greatest talent the game has never seen. Rube Foster’s business sense provided a sound foundation for the next 30 years for African-Americans and Latin greats to play in the US.

Untitled Slide

• Everything about the 1920s set up the next 80 years of the great American game.