Menu
Collection

Baseball Firsts

For a game that until a few years ago operated entirely independently of the clock, baseball is profoundly rooted in time. From the commentators’ chatter about players’ prior performances, to the omnipresent lore about the game’s former greats, to the personal memories conjured by the sights and sounds of the ballpark, we are constantly reminded of the past’s presence and what it might portend for the critical moments ahead. 

In honor of the season’s first games, we’ve gathered together a selection of “baseball firsts,” which you’ll find below. From the origin story of the sport’s famous origin stories to the forensics of some of its stranger tactics to the feminist messaging of its most famous anthem to the African American player who beat Jackie Robinson to the big leagues by 64 years to the jurisprudence governing MLB economics, there’s something here for everyone, whether you’re a fan of the game or not.

This collection was featured in Continuum, the joint newsletter of Bunk and HNN, on March 26, 2026: https://tinyurl.com/Continuum3-26-26
Created by Continuum on May 13, 2026.
Cereal box illustration of 1839 baseball game, and caption explaining the history of the first baseball game, created by Abner Doubleday.

Baseball in the Garden of Eden

“Who controls the past,” George Orwell wrote, “controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.” So it has been with baseball.
by John Thorn via Our Game on July 17, 2023 
“Who controls the past,” George Orwell wrote, “controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.” So it has been with baseball.
Title page of baseball rulebook from 1845.

Baseball's First Stolen Base Exploited a Loophole in the Rulebook

People in the audience thought the player who stole the base was playing a joke.
by Secret Base via SB Nation on February 21, 2018 
People in the audience thought the player who stole the base was playing a joke.
Newspaper clipping featuring giant championship bat being presented to the Cincinnati Red Stockings.

How the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings Turned Baseball into a National Sensation

Meet the team that transformed baseball from a pastime to an industry.
by Robert Wyss via The Conversation on March 27, 2019 
Meet the team that transformed baseball from a pastime to an industry.

The History Behind Baseball’s Weirdest Pitch

The improbable success of the curveball.
by Tyler Kepner via Literary Hub on April 24, 2019 
The improbable success of the curveball.
Collage of baseball caps

The Long, Strange, History of the Baseball Cap

You could be forgiven for thinking it was always a part of the game.
by Michael Clair via Major League Baseball on May 9, 2023 
You could be forgiven for thinking it was always a part of the game.
"Fleet" Walker (middle row, far left) poses with Oberlin College's first varsity baseball team in 1881. Walker went on to become the first African American major leaguer.

The First African American Major League Baseball Player Isn’t Who You Think

As the country celebrates Jackie Robinson Day, let’s consider the career of Fleet Walker.
by Ronald G. Shafer via Retropolis
This publication restricts nonsubscriber access to some or all of its articles.
on April 15, 2019 
As the country celebrates Jackie Robinson Day, let’s consider the career of Fleet Walker.
Woman in a baseball stadium

“Take Me Out to the Ball Game”

The little-known story of one of the best known sing-along songs, and its connection to women's suffrage.
by George Boziwick via Our Game on October 8, 2013 
The little-known story of one of the best known sing-along songs, and its connection to women’s suffrage.
The Tri-City ValleyCats played in the Baseball Hall of Fame’s showcase game during induction weekend in 2004.

The Supreme Court May Overturn the Error That Made Major League Baseball Rich

A pair of minor league clubs are asking the court to reverse the league’s lucrative 101-year-old antitrust exemption.
by Matt Ford via The New Republic
This publication restricts nonsubscriber access to some or all of its articles.
on September 21, 2023 
A pair of minor league clubs are asking the court to reverse the league’s lucrative 101-year-old antitrust exemption.

Rube Foster Was the Big Man Behind the First Successful Negro Baseball League

100 years ago, it took a combination of salesman and dictator to launch a historic era for black teams.
by John Florio, Ouisie Shapiro via Andscape on February 13, 2020 
100 years ago, it took a combination of salesman and dictator to launch a historic era for black teams.
Eight black MLBers photographed at a Negro League Alumni All-Star Game in 1952.

After Jackie Robinson Bent Baseball's Color Barrier, Two Journeymen Broke It For Good

Real inclusivity is based on equal access to mediocrity.
by Barry Petchesky via Deadspin on April 15, 2019 
Real inclusivity is based on equal access to mediocrity.
Names, dates, and statistics written on lined notebook paper.

The Forgotten Men Behind the Ideas That Changed Baseball

Solving baseball’s enduring puzzles, to those who could even see them, was its own reward. They changed everything but were never given their due.
by Leander Schaerlaeckens via Defector on November 14, 2022 
Solving baseball’s enduring puzzles, to those who could even see them, was its own reward. They changed everything but were never given their due.
Big League Chew’s inaugural package in 1980.

How a Minor League Pitcher Turned a Dugout Conversation Into the Legend That Is Big League Chew

The inventor, who baked the first batch of the iconic gum 40 years ago, talks about the genesis of an American rite of passage.
by Jake Malooley, Rob Nelson via Esquire
This publication restricts nonsubscriber access to some or all of its articles.
on July 10, 2019 
The inventor talks about the genesis of an American rite of passage.
brought to you by
© Bunk History