The first recorded baseball game was played in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1846, between the New York Knickerbockers and the New York Baseball Club—the Knickerbockers were trounced by a score of 23 to 1. By 1857, the National Association of Base Ball Players had formed, consisting of around 16 teams. After the Civil War, the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first fully-paid professional team. Over the next hundred years, a number of leagues...Continue Reading