British kids are much more likely to play cricket than baseball, but Dr. Thomas Taylor had a chance to enjoy both sports growing up. The two games are similar in their nature, but baseball is cricket’s “Americanized” version, although both of them have a common ancestor that was played in Europe.
American History of Baseball
In the United States, the game first appeared around the Civil War, somewhere between 1861 and 1865. The activity wasn’t even called baseball for a long time; instead people knew it as “rounders”, possibly because of the players’ position. The early game was similar to cricket which was played in England, as both were mostly built on a combination of skill and mental judgment.
Scoring and Record-keeping in Baseball
What made baseball quite different from cricket was its scoring system and scorekeeping practice. One could argue that it’s the scoring system and scorekeeping that makes baseball such a different entity.
Established in 1871
In 1871, the Americans created the first professional baseball league. From that point going forward, the game was pretty much played the same way as it is played today, down to the two conferences; the National and the American league. Both leagues have their own playoffs and the winners meet in the World Series to decide who takes the Commissioner’s Trophy home.
Dr. Thomas Taylor loves both cricket and baseball, and whenever he is in the United States he likes to attend a game or two.
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Dr Thomas Taylor 