Baseball in the United States
Photo: Alex Hendricks, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Baseball has been considered America's pastime for over a century and today remains one of the biggest sports in the country. Baseball is played at a number of amateur levels, from Little League to High School to College, and professional leagues range from the lowest Minor Leagues to Major League Baseball. In almost any place in America, there will be a baseball game going on during the spring and summer months, and watching it is a fantastic way to meet the locals and experience American sports culture. It has also left a huge impact on American English, with numerous baseball terms such as "hit a home run", "hit the ball out of the park" and "touch base" frequently used as metaphors even by people who are not baseball fans.
For those who love both baseball and travel, it's a natural fit to combine the two. If there is a place in the country where you've never been and want to visit, you can combine it with when your team is also there. There is something thrilling with watching your team on the road.
Many baseball fans have the desire to visit every park in the Major Leagues. It can be a wonderful experience to tick them off one by one with family or friends.
UnderstandFor information on how the game is played, see Baseball.
Major League BaseballS. and the richest professional baseball league in the world. It attracts the highest level of talent from North America, Central America, South America, East Asia, and the Caribbean.S.
Minor League BaseballMinor League Baseball is the general name for a group of developmental leagues operated by major league teams for younger players who have not yet developed the skills to play in the major leagues.
Independent teams and leaguesIn addition to leagues affiliated with the MLB/MiLB, there are additional leagues that play minor league-level ball. They include:
Exhibition teamsOne quirky exhibition team in United States baseball is the Savannah Bananas. The Bananas play a style of baseball known as banana ball that combines baseball with tricks, comedy and theatrics.
College baseballCollege baseball is the general term for non-professional baseball organized by any of several bodies.
High school baseballHigh school baseball is played around the nation by teams organized by each individual high school.
Little League BaseballLittle League Baseball is a collection of youth baseball leagues run by Little League Baseball.
SoftballSoftball is a game similar to baseball with two variants — "fast-pitch" and "slow-pitch", referring to the speed at which the ball is allowed to be pitched.
Museums and other attractionsIn addition to the many, many opportunities to take in a baseball game, there are also plenty of museums in cities across the country devoted to the game, from the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown to little museums dedicated…
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Baseball in the United States" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Alex Hendricks, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons