Baseball is not just a game but rather related to the emotions of Americans. And it is called the national pastime of America.
Baseball is all about passion, craze, fascination, history, and many more among the people here. So, learning some crazy fun facts about baseball will be worth it.
Today, I have collected 100 fun facts about baseball. Some I knew before. But the rest of the facts even amazed me, and that will be true for you, too.
So, are you ready to get the thrill? Let’s start.
100 Fun Facts About Baseball
Baseball is not only a game but also an emotion for many people. It has a huge fan base around the world. So, people who love baseball should also learn about the facts that can astonish them.
So, let’s dive into the world of fun facts of baseball.
1. Baseball Metaphors Sex in America!
I bet you didn’t know that baseball in America is used as a metaphor for sex. This is one of the most exciting and fun facts about baseball.
Here are the meanings of the metaphor:
- First Base: This means mouth-to-mouth kissing
- Second Base: Touching the skin between the partners
- Third Base: Oral stimulation or touching below the waist
- Home Run: Physical intercourse
- Strikeout: Fail to engage someone in any type of sexual activity during the attempt to make sex 😁😁
2. Baseball Is America’s National Pastime
Though baseball came to America before the Civil War, it was less popular initially. During the Civil War, American soldiers played baseball as a pastime.
This helped them to keep distracted from the horror of the war. This really worked, and the popularity of the game among the soldiers increased rapidly.
Ultimately, the popularity of the game spread among the American people all over the states, and it became the National Pastime of America.
3. Myth: Baseball Was Invented By Abner Doubleday
Many Americans believe that Abner Doubleday, an American Civil War Major General, was the inventor of baseball. This theory was established when Chicago Cubs President Albert Spalding and Abraham G. Mills, National League President, declared him the inventor of baseball in 1907.
They created a commission to determine baseball’s origin. They tried to establish the theory that the invention of the national pastime of America was invented here, in America.
4. The First-Ever Organized Baseball Club Was Established in 1845.
Though the history of baseball has been long since the 1800s century outside of the USA, the first-ever organized USA team was in 1845. A group of people in New York City created the club named “New York Knickerbocker.”
5. Alexander Cartwright Created a Set of Baseball Codes.
After establishing the club in 1845, one of the members of the Knickerbocker Club, Alexander Cartwright, produced a set of codes as baseball rules.
The rules are called Knickerbocker Rules. Some significant rules of the Knickerbocker rules are the three-strike rule and the concept of a diamond-shaped infield.
The Knickerbocker Rules are the first-ever written rules in baseball, which gave it a shape.
The rules were followed by the next half-century as the basis of the baseball rules. On the other hand, Alexander Cartwright is known as the Father of Modern Baseball.
6. Henry Chadwick, the Sports Writer, is Also Known As the Father of Baseball.
Though Alexander Cartwright is known as the Father of Baseball, another person is also known as the same among many people in American culture.
Henry Chadwick was an English sports writer who helped to make baseball popular among the Americans. He also developed the early version of Box Score of baseball.
He is also known for creating batting averages and earned run averages. He is one of the Baseball Hall of Famers who never swung a bat or pitched a ball.
He was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938, 30 years after his death in 1908.
7. The First Ever Official Baseball Game Was Held in 1846 in the USA
Many people argue that baseball was played long before the 1840s. But, the first-ever officially recorded baseball match was held on 19th June 1846 in Hoboken, New Jersey.
The match was held between the first-ever organized baseball team, New York Knickerbocker, and New York Nine. The most fun fact is that the Knickerbocker lost the game against the New York Nine by 23-1 in four innings.
8. The First and Oldest Baseball Park Was Elysian Fields in Hoboken.
Did you know where the first ever officially recorded baseball was played? This is the Elysian Fields Park in Hoboken, New Jersey. The field was built in 1845, but the exact date was unknown.
On the other hand, the field closed in the 1880s.
9. Rounder: The Origin of Baseball
So you know what? The pastime of the USA is not from the USA? Strange, isn’t it? Actually, this is a fact.
Baseball was invented in the UK, first mentioned in 1744 in a children’s book named “A Little Pretty Pocket-Book,” by John Newbery. The game was actually named “Rounder,” which was also known as “Base Ball.”
The book also talked about the field dimension. It was triangular instead of a modern diamond shape.
By the way, you know what? The pastime of America came from a simple game of English Children.
10. The Oldest Baseball Park Still in Use
Fenway Park is the oldest baseball park still in use. It was opened on April 20, 1912, and is the home of the Boston Red Sox. The park is in Boston, Massachusetts.
It has gone through several renovations and currently has a capacity of more than 37,000 visitors.
Aside from this, the second oldest baseball park still in use is Wrigley Field, which is the home of the Chicago Cubs. This field was built on April 23, 1914, and has a capacity of 41,649 visitors.
By the way, if you want to learn more about the oldest ballparks still in use, you can check my article on List of 27 Oldest Baseball Stadiums.
11. Baseball Is One of the Most Popular Sports Around the World
Without any doubt, baseball is one of the most popular games around the world. In the USA, Major League Baseball had a total attendance of 64.56 million in the 2022 regular season.
As of 2021, 15.6 million people in the USA, who are aged above 6, play baseball. Also, 500 million people around the world follow baseball. It’s the 7th most popular sport in the world.
13. MLB Formed in 1903
Did you know when MLB (Major League Baseball) was formed? It was in 1903. MLB was the collaboration of the two major leagues: the National League (NK) and the American League (AL).
The National League was founded in 1876, and the American League was in 1901. Though the American League was denied by most teams of the National League primarily, they came up with a decision to merge and merge in 1903, which gave birth to the world’s most popular baseball league: MLB.
13NABBP Was Formed in 1857
Did you know when the first governing body of baseball was formed? NABBP, or National Association of Baseball Players, was formed on January 22, 1857.
The NABBP was the first-ever governing body or well-organized organization of American Baseball. By the time of 1865, there were almost 100 clubs registered under the governing of NABBP.
However, it was not a professional baseball organization. In the year 1870, NABBP stopped its organizational operations from baseball.
14. The First Ever Professional Baseball Governing Body, NAPBBP, Was Established in 1871
Did you know why NABBP had halted its operations from baseball? Because it was not a professional league and was to be replaced by something more precise and professional.
To do so, NAPBBP (National Association of Professional Base Ball Players) was established on March 17, 1871. It was the first-ever fully professional baseball league in the USA.
15. The First World Series Champion Was Boston Americans, an American League Team
Did you know Boston Americans (Currently Boston Red Sox) was the first World Series Champion? And do you know what the significance of winning the first World Series by an American League team is?
The American League was formed in 1901, and the National League was formed in 1876. As a new league team, winning the first-ever official highest title was something special.
16. New York Yankees Is the Highest World Series Title Holder
Now, who is the highest World Series Title holder? Yes, you got it right. The New York Yankees are the most title holders in World Series championship history.
They have won 27 World Series titles as of 2022. The 2023 World Series is yet to be held. If you want to define their mastery and recognition in the World Series, here’s the point.
The second most World Series winner is the St. Louis Cardinals. But they are far, miles away from the Yankees, who won the championship only 11 times.
Aside from this, the New York Yankees are one of the most valuable and recognized sports teams and brands around the world.
17. The Shortest MLB Game Was Finished in 51 Minutes
Generally, a baseball game in the MLB lasts around 3 hours. So, finishing a game in 51 is a really fun fact in baseball history.
And yes, this happened on the 28th of September in 1919. The match was between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Phillies. The Giants finished the game with a 6-1 in 51 minutes.
Please, don’t get it wrong, no 1 hour 51 minutes. It was just 51 minutes. Okay, puzzled? Then get ready for the shortest baseball game ever.
18. The Shortest MiLB Game Was Just 31 Minutes
If you are puzzled by the shortest MLB game ever in 51 minutes, then take a deep shock. The fastest and shortest baseball game ever happened in 31 minutes. Yes, it was literally 31 minutes in 1916 in a MiLB (Minor League Baseball) game.
The match was between the Asheville Tourists and the Winston-Salem Twins. Winston-Salem caught up the match at a 2-1 win. And the fun fact about the game is that the game started even half an hour before it was scheduled.
It is because the Winston-Salem Twins were to catch a train to go out of town. Also, many visitors got into the park after a while of the scheduled time, and the game was over. They thought they had arrived early before the game started.
Another shortest game to be mentioned. It was 1910 in MiLB, the first shortest baseball game ever. It was a 32-minute game between the Atlanta Crackers and Mobile SeaGulls at Ponce de Leon Park in Georgia.
This was the fastest game ever, and the 1916 game broke the record, becoming the shortest baseball game ever.
19. The Longest MLB Game Was 26 Innings in Terms of Innings
The MLB games are 9-inning games. But what if it ends with a long 26 innings? Obviously, it will be a long game. Ultimately, the game between Brooklyn Robins and the Boston Braves became the longest MLB game in terms of innings.
The game was held on May 1, 1920. The length of the game was almost 4 hours. By the way, it seems the names of the teams are unfamiliar.
Right, you are. Today, we know Brooklyn Robins as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Braves as Atlanta Braves. By the way, after 26 innings, the game was finished with a 1-1 result.
20. The Longest MLB Game Was Almost 8 Hours in Terms of Time
What if you schedule a 3-hour baseball game, go to the park, and the game ends in 8 hours? You will probably fail the train or miss any important schedule out of the game.
This might have happened to the visitors to the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers on May 8, 1984. The game continued for 17 innings and was scheduled for the next day since the American League has a prohibition on starting a new inning after 1 AM.
The first-day game was tied with a 3-3 result. The very next day, the rest of the 8 innings were played, and the White Sox won the game by 7-6.
21. The Longest MiLB Game Lasted 33 Innings
If we talk about the overall longest baseball game ever, it was the game between the Rochester Red Wings and the Pawtucket Red Sox. The game was held on 18th April 1981.
And did you know when the game ended? It was 23rd June 1981 when the game ended its 33rd inning. Puzzled? Okay, let me finish the story.
The game started on the 18th of April at Pawtucket’s McCoy Field, which I already stated. The first 32 innings were played on the 18th and 19th of June. Finally, the game was suspended at 4:07 AM on 19th June due to bad weather with a 2-2 score.
Lastly, the game was resumed on 23rd June with its 33rd inning and ended with a 3-2 victory by the Pawtucket Red Sox. The game lasted more than 8 hours in total.
22. There Has Not Been Any Left-Hand Thrower As a Catcher in MLB Since 1989
Since 1989, there has been no left-hand-throwing catcher playing in MLB. If you are a regular baseball fan, you must know playing as a left-hand-throwing catcher is too difficult to cope in the position.
For additional info, it has been an unwritten rule of baseball since then. The reason behind this is the hassle of throwing the ball to third base by the catcher.
This becomes worse when there is a right-handed batter on the plate.
23. There Are 30 Teams in the MLB
Did you know how many teams play in MLB, the most popular baseball league? There are 30 teams in MLB, 15 teams each for AL and NL.
29 teams are from America, and one is from Canada. However, there were 8 teams in each league from the beginning till the 1960s.
In the middle of the 1960s, the teams of each league almost doubled. By 1998, the last two teams, Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays, joined MLB to NL, and AL accordingly.
24. Most MLB Game Winners Won 116 games in a Single Season
In MLB, there are two teams that won the most, 116 wins in a single season jointly. In 1906, the Chicago Cubs won 116 matches out of 162 games.
A long time later, in 2001, the Seattle Mariners won 116 games out of 162.
25. The Youngest MLB Player Debut Was Joe Nuxhall.
Joe Nuxhall debuted on 10 June 1944. This left-hand pitcher debuted for the Cincinnati Reds. When he debuted for his team, Joe Nuxhall was only 15 years and 316 days old.
When he retired on October 2, 1966, at his last game, he was playing for his debut team, Cincinnati Reds. He ended his career with a 135-117 win-loss and an ERA of 3.90.
26. The Oldest-Playing MLB Player Was Satchel Paige
In MLB history, the oldest playing MLB player was Satchel Paige. He debuted for the Cleveland Indians on July 9, 1948, at the age of 42. Before that, he had played in Negro League and debuted in 1927 for the Birmingham Black Barons.
By the way, he played his last game in MLB for the Kansas City Athletics at the age of 59 years and 80 days. He has an astonishing 118-80 win-loss stat, along with an astonishing ERA of 2.70.
27. The MLB Revenue
Have you ever been curious about how much MLB makes every year? Sit tight, and this may give you a shock. In the 2022 season, MLB set a new record of revenue of $10.8 billion.
MLB is the most profitable sports league in the USA. The revenue of MLB in 2020 was $3.5 billion. You see, the amount of revenue is continuously growing every year.
28. African-American Black Players Couldn’t Play in MLB in the Half of the 20th Century.
Racism is a curse, and African-American black players couldn’t play in the biggest league from the beginning of the 20th century until the first half of the century.
The Jim Crow laws separated the African-Americans from the “gentle white men” along with all state facilities. Due to the consequence of African-American baseball, players couldn’t play in MLB until the 1960s.
However, due to the law enforced in 1877, many great players missed the chance to play in MLB. Due to the law that created Racial Segregation, Hall of Famer Andrew “Rube” Foster and his fellow together established the Negro National League On 13th February 1920.
29. The Home Run Leader in MLB
Barry Bonds is the all-time home run leader in MLB as of 2023. He has 762 home runs with an average of .298. Aside from this, he acquired 514 stolen bases, 1996 RBIs, and 2935 hits in his career.
He debuted for the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 30, 1986. Bond retired from baseball on 26 September 2007 for the San Francisco Giants.
30. The Strike Leader in Baseball: Nolan Ryan Facts
The legendary Nolan Ryan is the strikeout leader in MLB history. He struck out 5714 batters in his career. He was also called “the Ryan Express” due to his deadly fast pitches.
Even unofficially, Ryan is the fastest pitcher in MLB history. One of his pitches recorded 108.1 mph in 1974. Unfortunately, this isn’t officially recorded since there were no modern technologies to measure the ball’s speed.
But, in the documentary “Fastball,” scientific analysis shows that Nolan’s 108.1 mph really happened and is the fastest ever-thrown pitch in baseball history.
By the way, Nolay used to throw pitches over 100 mph in his career. Another significant fact about Nolan Ryan is he has played 27 seasons of MLB, which is the highest in MLB history.
31. The Most Used Material of Baseball Bats in MLB Is Maple Wood.
Did you know that MLB batters only use wood bats? Why? Because any type of metal bat is prohibited in MLB.
One of the major and significant reasons for banning metal bats in MLB is that the league was started by playing with wood bats.
On the other hand, 70% of MLB batters use Maple Wood bats on the plate. One of the significant reasons for this is Barry Bonds, in 2001, broke a single-season home run record with 73 home runs.
And throughout the league, he only used maple wood bats. This triggered most batters to choose maple wood bats in MLB.
32. Ty Cobb Is the All-Time Batting Average Leader.
Ty Cobb held the highest batting average in MLB history. His batting average is .366, with 117 home runs. He also has 4,189 hits, along with 897 stolen bases and 1944 RBIs.
You will be amazed to know that Ty Cobb was the first player in MLB history who got a 5 digit salary. And remember, the time was 1913. He also got the most batting titles as a hitter, which is 12 times.
He was also an Army Captain in the USA Army Chemical Warfare Service.
He debuted in MLB on August 30, 1905, for the Detroit Tigers. When he retired, he was in Philadelphia Athletics on September 11, 1928.
33. Legend Cy Young Facts.
After his death in 1956, the Best Pitcher Award, named Cy Young Award, has been giving in his name. He was a legendary pitcher in baseball history who has numerous achievements.
You will see a lot of records beside his name. He has the most career wins, which is 511. The fun fact is he also has the most career losses as well, which is 315.
As a starter pitcher, he has the most innings starting records with 815 times. He also threw in most innings, which is 7356.
34. Fun Record Duo Title Winners in 1906 and 2001.
One of the fun facts about baseball that should amaze you about the most winners in a single season.
In 1906, the Chicago Cubs from the NL won the most games (116) in a single season. They also won the NL title that year.
On the other hand, the Seattle Mariners won the same number of games in 2001 in AL. Unfortunately, the Seattle Mariners weren’t able to appear in the World Series.
35. Unrelated Song Is the Unofficial Anthem of American Baseball.
In 1908, American lyricists Albert Von Tilzer and Jack Northworth wrote a song titled “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” They had never been to baseball and had no relation with baseball anymore.
But the fun fact is, their song is played in the middle of the 7th inning of MLB traditionally.
36. The Most Expensive Antique Baseball Was Sold at $191,200.
It’s obvious that antique objects are traditionally sold at a higher price. This happens because tycoons and collectors are likely to spend a lot of money to collect antique objects, even at a higher price.
By the way, the most expensive baseball, which was signed by legendary baseball player Joe DiMaggio and film star Marilyn Monroe, was sold at $191,200.
The auction was held on May 5, 2006, at Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas.
37. Father and Son Duo Played in the MLB.
Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr., who were father and son, played in the same team in 1990. They played for the Seattle Mariners.
They made another all-time home run record in MLB history. On 14 September 1990, they hit back-to-back home runs for the Seattle Mariners. This is the only father-son-made record in MLB history.
38. The Baseball Hall of Fame Was Founded in 1936.
The prestigious National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was founded in 1936 in Cooperstown, New York. This honors the excellence of baseball players by naming them the Hall of Famer.
It also shows the artifacts of exhibitions related to baseball. It also serves as the central point of American Baseball history. Till now, there are 342 players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in total.
The following players are the first 5 persons who were inducted into the Hall of Fame: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson.
39. The Fastest Officially Recorded Pitch Is 105.1 MPH.
Though Nolan Ryan is considered the fastest pitcher in baseball history, it is unofficial. Officially, the fastest “Guinness World Record” pitcher is Aroldis Chapman.
This Cuban was playing for the Cincinnati Reds. He made the record on September 24, 2010, against the San Diego Padres. The game was played at PETCO Park, San Diego, California, USA.
40. The Facts About Baseball.
Do you know the size of a baseball? The periphery of the baseball is between 9.00 to 9.25 inches. The weight of the ball is between 5.00 to 5.25 ounces.
The outermost part of the ball is made of cowhide and attached with red-waxed cotton stitches.
And you know how many stitches are there? There are 108 stitches for lacing the ball. By the way, the number of lacing with 108 stitches is a must.
One of the fun facts about baseball is a single ball is usually used for 5 to 7 pitches. In total, there are around 70 balls used in a single match.
Rawlings Sports Goods is the official baseball manufacturer of Major League Baseball.
41. Who Is the Most Consecutive Player in MLB?
Can you think a baseball player has been playing for 16 years and hasn’t missed a single match by this time? Puzzled by the information? But yes, it happened.
Cal Ripken Jr. is the player who played 2,632 consecutive games between May 30, 1982, through Sept. 19, 1998. Another fun fact about this time frame is there were 27 players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
42. The Dead Ball Era.
Did you know that the time frame of 1900 to 1919 is called the “Dead Ball Era?” It is because the balls were too soft and wound loosely. Consequently, batters struggled to hit and send the ball far.
Contrarily, legendary pitchers like Cy Young, Grover Cleveland, and Walter Johnson got additional advantages. Think, they did so even playing against hitters like Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, and Joe Jackson.
43. 129 Countries Play Baseball.
Did you know that baseball is also popular worldwide? Aside from America, Baseball is also played in almost 130 countries around the world.
Japan, Cuba, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Taiwan, etc., consider baseball also their pastime. This is not among the fun facts about baseball, but a great fact for baseball.
44. The First African-American Played in MLB in 1947.
Though, as you know, colored players couldn’t play in MLB till almost the 1960s, Jackie Robinson broke the barrier. The African-American MLB legend was included in MLB in 1947.
He is the first-ever African-American who played in MLB. The day on April 15, 1947. Je debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He also came up with the end of his career for the same team on October 10, 1956.
In his career, he acquired a batting average of .313 with 141 home runs. By the way, he played for the National Negro League in 1945 for the Kansas City Monarchs.
45. White Players in Negro League!
What an irony! The reason for creating the Negro League was the white: they didn’t allow colored people in MLB. But, at the time, white people were in the Negro League.
The opportunity for this collaboration happened when Jackie Robinso was first allowed to play in MLB.
46. Who Got the 100% Vote in the Baseball Hall of Fame?
New York Yankees legend Marino Rivera got 100% votes in his induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019. And he is the only player in the Hall of Fame history who got the 100% vote.
The number of voters was 425 in 2019. He has a win-loss stat of 82–60, along with a 2.21 earned run average (ERA).
47. The One-Handed Baseball Player Ever.
Can you think of a one-handed baseball player who plays in the game and has a good record? Get ready for the shock. Jim Abbott, from Flint, Michigan, was born with his left hand. He didn’t have his right wrist.
With such a physical condition, his dedication to baseball took him to MLB, and he made his debut on April 8, 1989, for the California Angels. Till he retired on July 21, 1999, for the Milwaukee Brewers, he played for 6 MLB teams, including the New York Yankees.
He recorded an 87-108 win-loss along with 888 strikeouts and a 4.25 ERA.
48. The Only Team Outside the USA Is the Toronto Blue Jays.
You already know there is a team in MLB from Canada. The team is the Toronto Blue Jays.
They are also the only team outside of America who won the World Series. The Blue Jays also won back-to-back World Series in 1992 and 1993. And the fun fact is, they have never been defeated in the World Series.
And another fun fact is they only won the World Series two times and have never been in the final ever after and before the times.
49. Babe Ruth Facts
If you learn about the MLB legend Ruth, the facts won’t be in the end. George Herman “Babe” Ruth was nicknamed “the Bambino” and the “Sultan of Swat.”
He started his MLB career as a left-hand pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. But he has finished his career as one of the all-time best slugging outfielders and a great batter.
Babe Ruth is the third all-time home run leader, along with 714 home runs. His batting average is .3421, which made him the 13th all-time batting average leader till today.
Ruth has 2,873 hits and 2,214 RBIs. He also has an ERA of 2.28 with an astonishing 94-46 win-loss record. With his 2.28 ERA, he is 17th on the list of all-time ERA leaders in MLB.
By the way, Babe Ruth is considered one of the sports heroes in American culture. He has a separate fanbase with his name as one of the top personal brands.
Babe Ruth, on the other hand, is one of the first 5 Baseball Hall of Fame inducted players as well.
Aside from these, he is also the highest-paid MLB player of his time. He was the highest 13-time annual salary leader from 1922 to 1934.
50. The First American President Who Threw The First Opening Day Pitch
MLB has a culture where the running American President throws the first pitch of the Opening Day of the season. The culture has been on its way since 1910.
The first-ever U.S. President was William Howard Taft, the 27th U.S. President, who threw the first pitch on MLB Opening Day on April 14, 1910. He was also a former semi-pro baseball player.
By the way, Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of America, avoided the cultural first-day Opening pitch in his time. Though he only pitched the first ball at Game 7 of the 1979 World Series.
51. The Visiting Team Always Wears a Gray Uniform
One of the fun facts about baseball teams is visiting team uniform-wearing rituals. Did you know that the visiting team players always wear gray uniforms?
Did you know why this happened? The legend to be said dates back to the 1800s when visiting players didn’t have time to launder their uniforms. As a result, they wore gray uniforms to hide the dirt on their uniforms.
By the way, this helps the fans to distinguish the teams easily.
52. The First MLB Game Aired on TV in 1939
The first ever MLB game was aired on TV on the 26th of August in 1939. The game was between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
The Cincinnati Reds visited the Brooklyn Dodgers, and it was a doubleheader. The fun fact about the broadcast was only two cameras were covering the game. But there was not even a single monitor on the field.
The first-ever MLB match broadcasted the opening of the door of new technology that was going to emerge in the world in a few days.
35. 1919 ‘Black Sox’ Baseball Scandal
Nowadays, we are familiar with “match-fixing.” But at the beginning of the last century, it was a far-thinking fact to do so. But this happened in MLB history at that time.
The time was 1919. The Chicago White Sox’s 8 players were accused of fixing the game in the World Series to lose the game. The day is famous as the “Black Sox Scandal” in baseball history. And on September 28, 1920, a Chicago grand jury charged the players accused of the fixing.
Immediately after the hearing, Chicago White Sox owner Charles Comiskey immediately suspended the 8 players from the team. They were also banned from baseball for life.
The 8 players who were involved in the fixing were
- The legendary hitter Shoeless Joe Jackson
- Chick Gandil
- Buck Weaver
- Swede Risberg
- Happy Felsch
- Fred McMullin
- Eddie Cicotte
- Lefty Williams
Due to being kicked out from baseball for life, Shoeless Joe Jackson was also ineligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame induction.
54. Do You Know the Shortest MLB Player?
Eddie Gaedel was the shortest MLB player who appeared on the plate on August 19, 1951, for the St. Louis Browns. He was 3 feet and 7 inches tall.
This was his only match in MLB ever. He appeared on the plate against the Detroit Tigers.
Puzzled by the information? Why hasn’t he appeared in any other matches? Okay, calm down. Actually, this was a publicity stunt to promote the game.
55. Death Happened in a Baseball Match
This is not actually a fun fact but rather a tragedy. The match was between the Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees on August 16, 1920.
Carl Mays from the Yankees’ side threw his pitch to the Indians’ hitter Ray Chapman. And unfortunately, Chapman was hit on his head by the ball fatally.
He died 12 hours after he got hit. This was the only incident where an MLB player died directly from an injury in the match.
After this heartbreaking incident, a rule was implemented where umpires must change the ball if it gets dirty. The death of Chapman also opened the eyes to the need for wearing a batting helmet in the game.
56. The First-Ever Radio Broadcast of Baseball
Though the forest-ever TV broadcast of baseball happened in 1939, the radio broadcast happened long before it.
The first-ever radio broadcast of baseball happened on August 5, 1921. The broadcast match was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies.
The match was broadcast by the radio station KDKA in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Pirates won the match against the Philadelphia Phillies with an 8-5 score.
26-year-old Harold Arlin announced the game play-by-play from the beginning of the match to the end.
57. Catchers’ Equipment: Tools of Ignorance
The catcher’s position is the toughest position in baseball, where the catcher needs extreme skill to withstand. Knowing the position so well for its toughness, some players become catchers by loving the position.
In such cases, the safety equipment that catchers use is not enough to safeguard them. And even knowing the risk, it is said that no intelligent players will stand in the position.
This is why the equipment catchers use, also called “Tools of Ignorance.”
58. The Game of Fate!!
You are standing in the stand in the park, enjoying the game, and a fouled-off at-bat hits you. Your nose is broken, and you are carried out for medical attention by stretcher, and the very next foul ball hits you again.
Isn’t this miraculous, or what can you say?
Exactly the same thing happened in baseball history. This happened on August 17, 1957, in the match between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Giants.
The Star outfielder of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Hall of Famer outfielder Richie Ashburn hit a foul-off. The ball hit a woman on a stand named Alice Roth and broke her nose.
The game was paused due to the incident, and the medics arrived and carried her off with a stretcher. The match began again, and Ashburn hit a consecutive foul-off.
And you know what is the irony here? The ball hit the same woman on the stretcher with the same at-bat and broke a bone of her knee.
The woman was the wife of Philadelphia Bulletin sports editor Earl Roth. However, they became friends after the incident.
59. The Losing-Team Player Won the MVP.
In the World Series, MVP is only owned by the players from the winning side. But in the history of the World Series, Bobby Richardson is the only player who won MVP while playing on the losing side.
He was playing for the New York Yankees in the 1960s World Series, lost the match, and was selected MVP that year. The Yankees that year were defeated by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
60. Edwin Jackson Played for the Most Teams in MLB History
Edwin Jackson played for 14 teams in MLB history, which is still the most teams for a player. He debuted on September 9, 2003, for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He retired from the Detroit Tigers on September 28, 2019.
By this time, he played for all teams as follows.
- Los Angeles Dodgers (2003–2005)
- Tampa Bay Devil Rays / Rays (2006–2008)
- Detroit Tigers (2009)
- Arizona Diamondbacks (2010)
- Chicago White Sox (2010–2011)
- St. Louis Cardinals (2011)
- Washington Nationals (2012)
- Chicago Cubs (2013–2015)
- Atlanta Braves (2015)
- Miami Marlins (2016)
- San Diego Padres (2016)
- Baltimore Orioles (2017)
- Washington Nationals (2017)
- Oakland Athletics (2018)
- Toronto Blue Jays (2019)
- Detroit Tigers (2019)
61. Walter Johnson Has the Most Shutouts
The most shoutouts in MLB history belong to Walter Johnson. He has 110 shutouts in his career. After Cy Yong’s 511 career wins, Johnson has the second most career wins in MLB, which is 417.
Also, another big record bagged by Johnson is over 400 wins along with 3,500 strikeouts.
62. San Francisco Giants Have the Most Hall of Famers
As a team, the San Francisco Giants have the most Baseball Hall of Famers in the Hall of Fame history. There are 24 players on the list.
63. The First Metal Baseball Bat Was Designed in 1924.
William Shroyer is the first designer of metal baseball bats in history. He had also patented the metal bat in 1924 with a patent file No. 1,499,128.
After that, metal bats took a long time to be produced in mass. A long time later, in 1970, Worth Sports Company first-ever produced metal bats in large quantities.
64. Metal Bats Are Not Allowed in MLB and MiLB.
As I have mentioned before, metal bats are not permitted in MLB and MiLB. It is because metal bats create 10% more force that sends balls 10% farther than wood bats.
They also have more chances to injure the players. However, metal bats are allowed from Little League to Collegiate level, High School included.
65. The Baseball Bat Sweet Spot
When I first heard about the sweet spot on the baseball bat, I was just surprised! That is a sweet spot on a bat! But yes, you will find a sweet spot on a baseball bat for real.
It is the area of 5 to 7 inches from the bottom of the barrel of the bats. You can’t exactly determine the sweet spot. But you will feel the spot when you hit the ball with it.
It will create a crunchy ear-pleasing crisp cracking sound. And when you hit the spot, you will be likely to be able to score a home run.
66. The Most Valued Baseball Card Ever
How much can you spend on getting a baseball card for your favorite player? $5k, $10k, or more? I am not getting one of these with such a large amount of money.
And when it’s all about millions of dollars, impossible. I am out.
But stop. The surprise is here. Did you know that the most valuable baseball card was sold at $12.6 million? Unbelievable! Yes, it happened.
On August 28, 2022, an unknown buyer paid this money for a card of Mickey Mantle’s Topps with the number #311. This was an identified card from 1952. The auction was held by Heritage Auctions.
67. Hitting 4 Home Runs in a Single Match
This is something else when a hitter hits 4 home runs in a single match. This is considered as one of the greatest accomplishments.
And in baseball history, this happened only 18 times by 18 players. The first 4 home runs in a single match were done by Bobby Lowe in 1894. He did this against the Cincinnati Reds while playing for the Boston Beaneaters(Currently Atlanta Braves).
On the other hand, the latest one happened on Sept. 4, 2017, by J.D. Martinez. He did this for the Detroit Tigers against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
68. First Number On Jersey By Cleveland Indians.
In MLB history, the Cleveland Indians were the first team to put numbers on their players’ jerseys on June 26, 1916. The inspiration was from football and hockey.
They used numbers on the sleeves of jerseys. They used numbers first because fans, vendors, or umpires were unable to identify the players from afar. But, the initiative didn’t succeed and stopped in a few weeks.
Putting numbers on jerseys came back with its charm in 1929 when the New York Yankees put numbers on their back on January 22. Yes, The New York Yankees are the first to put numbers back on their jerseys.
At that time, numbers were put according to the batting order. Consequently, Babe Ruth wore jersey number 3 since he batted in the batting order number 3.
69. Most Consecutive Winning and Losing Record By Teams.
The New York Giants is the team that holds the most consecutive wins in a single season. They won 26 consecutive games in the 1916 MLB season.
Another team that could go close to them is the Cleveland Indians. They recorded a consecutive 22-match win. But you know when they do it? After 99 years of Giants’ record, in 2017.
On the other hand, the heartbreaking longest-losing record in a row was held by the Philadelphia Phillies. They had a heartbreaking 23 losses in a row in the 1961 MLB regular season.
70. MLB Players Earn a Lot.
Do you have an idea about how much an MLB player earns? MLB players are among the highest-paying players among other sports.
As of 2023, the average annual income of an MLB player is $4.9 million. And you know who will be the highest-paying MLB player in 2023? Not a single player, but rather a duo from the New York Mets.
They are Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. They get the same amount: $43.333333 million. This is huge, no doubt.
71. Common Features for Baseball Diamonds.
The distance between the home plate back tip and the pitching rubber is always 60 feet and 6 inches. Aside from this, the bases are 90 feet away adjacent to each other.
The diameter of the pitching mound is 18 meters. The pitching rubber size is 24” x 6”. Aside from these, the diagonal bases are 127 feet and 3.375 inches away from each other.
These measurements are universal for all MLB baseball parks.
72. The First Baseball Caps Were Made of Straw.
You already know that the New York Knickerbockers was the first organized baseball team. They were also the first team whose players wore baseball caps on April 24, 1849.
But the caps were made of straw. After a few years, they started to wear fine Merino wool caps. The caps featured a crown with a visor or a “bill.”
73. Baseball Balls Are Rubbed With Special Mud Before Each Game.
It sounds weird, but it happens as an official rule (MLB Rule 4.01(C)) of baseball. Before each game, the mud is collected from a secret place in Jersey.
Balls are rubbed to reduce their luster. As a result, the balls become easier to grip reliably.
74. The Second Biggest Professional League in Japan
After America, Japan has the biggest professional baseball league. Nippon Professional Baseball, NPB in short, is the second largest baseball league in the world after MLB.
The foundation of NPB was founded on February 5, 1936, as the Japanese Baseball League(JBL). Today’s NPB was founded in 1950 when JBL was reorganized with two leagues named Pacific League and Central League.
They were founded on November 26, 1949, and December 15, 1949, respectively. The league system is like MLB, where there are two leagues. Each league has 6 teams each, consisting of 12 teams in total.
You Can Also Read Top 10 Baseball Tournaments | Craze And Popularity Of Baseball.
75. The First African-American Player Who Played in the Japanese Professional Baseball League.
You already know that African-American players were not allowed to play in MLB until almost the 1960s. But you know what? The Japanese National League allowed them.
The first African-American, Jimmy Bonner, played in the Japanese National League in 1936. It was almost a decade before the first African-American, Jackie Robinson, got a chance in MLB.
76. Spitball Was Banned From Baseball in 1920.
Spitball was one of the most efficient pitches that pitchers threw to deceive the hitters. It was a pitch where pitchers used foreign substances like petroleum jelly or saliva to alter the air resistance capacity of the ball.
This was advantageous to the pitchers but harmful to the hitters. Consequently, the MLB authorities banned it in 1920.
But, they allowed 17 current pitchers at that time to use spitball until they retired. The last ever spitballer was Burleigh Grimes, who retired in 1934.
77. The Unfortunate Position: The Catcher.
Do you remember that I said the catcher’s equipment is called tools of ignorance? I think you do.
Now here is an example.
If the ball is stuck-
- In any of the catcher’s gear, including the mask, and
- It happens after the third strike or fourth call in an inning-
The hitter will get a walk. That means he can advance to first base. Also, the other runners in the bases can advance to their next bases accordingly.
78. MLB Fans Celebrate 1st July Every Year As Bobby Bonilla Day
This seems unusual, but MLB fans have been celebrating every year’s 1st July since 2011 as Bobby Bonilla Day.
The story is Bobby Bonilla retired from the New York Mets in 2000. But at that time, Bonilla’s $5.9 million was due, and he agreed to take the rest of the payment later for his 2000 buyout deal.
The total stood at $29.8 million from 2000 to 2011. And the Mets started to pay him $1.19 million per year in 2011. This installment will end in 2035, with 25 installments, when he will be 72.
This payment outperforms many high-paid running MLB stars, too. This is really weird for the Mets, no doubt.
79. The Biggest Crowd Was in a Pre-Season Game
The biggest crowd in baseball history was 115,300 spectators at the LA Memorial Coliseum. And do you believe that it was a pre-season game? Yes, it is.
In March 2008, the Boston Red Sox played against the Los Angeles Dodgers in front of this attendance. The Red Sox defeated the Dodgers in that match.
80. Weird Underwear Rule
In MLB games, umpires have to wear black underwear. It is actually for their betterment. Because their pants can split anytime, which will save them from exposing their inner parts!
81. Jacobs Field’s All Seats Were Sold for 6 Consecutive Years
In MLB history, Cleveland Indians’ Jacobs Field’s all seats were sold from 1995 to 2001. This incident happened for 455 consecutive matches. And to show respect to their fans, the Cleveland Indians retired the number 455 forever, and they won’t use this number anymore in the future.
82. The Swing Weight Differs the Feeling of Weight Samed Weighted Baseball Bats
I do believe you know about the baseball swing weight. But I bet you hadn’t thought before that the same weighed two baseball bats can feel different in weight!
Feeling surprised? Here’s the explanation.
Baseball bats’ swing weights become different in different bats. The swing weight distribution is called balanced swing weight, where the weight is distributed evenly all across the bat.
On the other hand, there is also an end-loaded bat where most of the load is distributed to the end of the bat. In such different cases, you will feel different in weight when you swing two differently distributed but same-weighed bats.
83. Evar Swanson Holds the Record for the Fastest Base Running
Evar Swanson made the fastest time around the bases on September 15, 1929. This left-fielder for the Cincinnati Reds ran the bases in 13.3 seconds. Till today, his record is unbroken after 94 years of the record.
84. The Murderer Row
The New York Yankees’ 1927 batting line was known as “Murderer Row.” Do you know why?
Because the lineup consisted of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel, and Earle Combs. They all were the future Baseball Hall of Famers at that time. And you, this lineup was a nightmare for opposite teams’ pitchers.
85. Barry Bonds Is the MVP Leader in MLB History
Most Valuable Player (MVP) is presented to the most valuable player after each regular season. Barry Bonds is the all-time MVP leader in MLB history. He won MVP award 7 times: 1990, ‘92, ‘93, 2001, ‘02, 03, and 2004.
His closest competitors are Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Schmidt, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, and Jimmie Foxx.
They all won MVP 3 times each.
86. World Series Career Leader
You should know the name Yogi Berra, who is the all-time World Series Champion leader in MLB history. He won 10 World Series Championships as a player. All these 10 championships he won when he was playing for the New York Yankees. He also won 3 World Series Championships as a manager.
On the other hand, he also titled All-Star 18 times. His batting career is also amazing, with a batting average of .285. He has 358 home runs and 2,150 hits, along with 1,430 RBIs beside his name.
He debuted in MLB on September 22, 1946, for the New York Yankees. Contrarily, he last appeared in MLB for the New York Mets on May 9, 1965.
87. The All-Time Batting Average Leader in A Single Season.
In baseball history, Tetelo Vargas from the New York Cubans in the Negro League is the all-time batting average leader in a single season. Finished his Negro League season with a batting average of .4711.
88. The First Time .4000 Batting Average in Baseball
In baseball, the first-ever batting average above .400 happened in 1876 in the NL. The ancient Chicago White Stockings (Currently the Chicago Cubs) star Ross Barnes finished the season with a batting average of .429.
His career batting average was .360, which is also pretty astonishing in MLB history.
89. The Last .4000 Batting Average in MLB
After 1941, MLB has not seen any batting average of more than .4000 by a player in a single season. Batting Legend Ted Williams is the last hitter who finished a single season with or more than .400.
He had finished the season with a batting average of .406. By the way, his career batting average is .344, with 521 home runs and 2,654 hits.
Ted Williams first appeared in MLB on April 20, 1939, and last appeared on September 28, 1960.
90. The All-time Stolen Bases Leader.
Stealing bases is one of the most cunning tasks in baseball games. To do so, a player needs speed and fast decision-making ability.
In this criteria, baseball Legend Ricky Henderson outperformed everyone who played and currently is playing baseball. He bagged 1,406 stolen bases in his entire career, making him the all-time stolen bases career leader.
One of the fun facts about baseball on this topic is that his closest competitor, Lou Brock, has 938 stolen bases, 468 times less than Henderson.
91. The Player Who Hit By Pitches Most Often!
I believe you heard the name of the Houston Astros legend Craig Biggio’s name. But did you know what one of the fun facts about baseball is?
Biggio’s hit-by-pitch is one of the fun facts about baseball in baseball history. Because he hit–by-pitch 285 times in his career. Even fans gave him the name “King of hit batsmen.” He broke the previous hit-by-pitch record of Don Baylor’s 267 on June 29, 2005.
And even more interesting is that he never got seriously injured with those hits. But, in his final season in 2007, he got only 3 hit-by-pitches, which is the least in his career.
92. The Oldest Hitter Who Hit a Home Run
Hulio Franco from the New York Mets is the oldest player who hit a home run. He did it in his 47 years and 240 days. He did this record-breaking incident on April 20, 2006, against the San Diego Padres.
His homer contributed to the Mets’ victory over San Diego with a 7-2 score. By the way, Franco broke the record of the Oakland Athletics’ pitcher Jack Quinn’s oldest-aged homer record.
Previously, Quinn made the record of the oldest homer at the age of 46 years, 357 in June 1930.
93. Baseball Fans Were Termed As “Cranks” Before.
Baseball fans were called “cranks” at the early age of baseball. They were also called with several different terms like “bugs” and “fiends.”
94. The Only Team Never Appeared in the World Series
The Seattle Mariners is the only team that never appeared in the World Series. Even though they won the highest 116 games in the 2001 regular season, they couldn’t make it to appear in the World Series.
95. 5 Teams Played in the World Series, But Never Won the Title
There are 5 teams who played in the World Series but never won the championship title. The 5 teams are – the Colorado Rockies, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, and San Diego Padres.
The Texas Rangers made back-to-back World Series Appearances in 2010 and 2011. On the other hand, the Padres appeared in the World Series in 1984 and 1998.
The Brewers made the appearance in 1982, and the Rockies made the appearance in 2007. Finally, the Rays made their appearance in 2008 and most recently in 2020.
96. The fewest Games Played By the Team in MLB
Tampa Bay Rays is the newest team in MLB, which came in 1998. So, expectedly, they played the fewest MLB games in history. They played only 3,4122 games. Additionally, they only won 1686 games in total, which is also on the list of the least number of games won.
97. The Baseball Bat Rule
The longest bat allowed in Major League Baseball is 42 inches. The bat should also be a smooth, rounded stick. The MLB Rule 3.02 establishes the regulation. A colored bat must also be approved by the Rules Committee before it can be used by a batter.
The Rule of 3.02(d) specifies this special sort of approval.
98. The Gold Glove Winner Leader
Greg Maddux is the all-time Gold Gloves Award winner for all positions. He won the award 18 times as a pitcher. Since the Gold Glove Award is given based on positions, there are different leaders for different positions.
For instance,
- Ivan Rodriguez won 13 times as a catcher.
- Keith Hernandez won 11 times as a first baseman.
- Roberto Alomar won 13 times as second baseman.
- Brooks Robinson won 16 times as a third baseman.
- Ozzie Smith won 13 times as a shortstop.
- Barry Bonds won 8 times as a left fielder.
- Willie Mays won 12 times as a center fielder.
- Roberto Clemente won 12 times as a right fielder.
99. Mike Trout Has Distinctive Records at a Time
In a single season, Mike Trout hits 30 home runs, scores 125 runs, and steals 45 bases. And only he accomplishes this in a single season.
In addition to baseball, he also professed to be a weather nerd. In addition to baseball, he claims to be interested in meteorology.
100. Alex Rodriguez Is The Youngest to Hit 500 Home Runs.
Alex Rodriguez is the youngest player who hit 500 home runs. He hit his 500th home run at 32 years and 8 days. He also holds the most Grandest Slams, 25.
Additional Info” In MLB history, there are only 28 players who hit 500 home runs or more.
Wrapping Up:
There are thousands of fun facts about baseball. If we tried to mention all of them it would be one of the fattest books. So I stopped with 100 fun facts about baseball.
I hope most of the facts amazed you since they are literally something else. By the way, baseball sex metaphor facts pinched me the most!
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Hello everyone. My name is Jason Butler, and I live in California, America. I was a professional AAA Minor League Baseball player. I lost my chance of playing MLB for injury issues, but I did not lose my love for baseball. I attended the coaching training program and am now working as a coach in a small school in San Diego.
I always love to share my experience and knowledge if that can help you. Play baseball, and stay fit.