Cartwright's Baseball Changes
The first references of the game started back in the eighteenth century. Many games like “rounders” and “cricket” were some of the games that influenced baseball. Furthermore, in September of 1845, a group of men founded the New York Knickerbocker Baseball Club. One of the founders, Alexander Joy Cartwright, established a new set of rules that would later shape the game into the modern day version. He set rules like, having a diamond-shaped infield, foul lines, and the notorious “3 strikes and you’re out.” Also while making new rules he eliminated some too. Cartwright made the game safer by eliminating rules like tagging a runner by throwing the ball at them. These changes made the game safer, but also made it faster paced and more challenging.
The first game of the Knickerbockers took place in 1846, against a team of cricket players. Not only did they start a new phenomenon but also set up baseball for what it became to be today.