Editing Baseball (section)

== Popularity and cultural impact ==
[[File:Waseda University baseball players.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|Two players on the baseball team of Tokyo, Japan's [[Waseda University]] in 1921]]
Writing in 1919, philosopher [[Morris Raphael Cohen]] described baseball as the national religion of the US.<ref>Cohen, Morris Raphael, "Baseball as a National Religion" (1919), in Cohen, ''The Faith of a Liberal'' (Transaction, 1993 [1946]), pp. 334–336: p. 334.</ref> In the words of sports columnist [[Jayson Stark]], baseball has long been "a unique paragon of American culture"—a status he sees as devastated by the steroid abuse scandal.<ref>{{cite web|author=Stark, Jayson|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=3892788|title=A-Rod Has Destroyed Game's History|date=February 8, 2009|access-date=February 8, 2009|work=[[ESPN.com]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210124048/http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=3892788|archive-date=February 10, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> Baseball has an important place in other national cultures as well: Scholar Peter Bjarkman describes "how deeply the sport is ingrained in the history and culture of a nation such as Cuba, [and] how thoroughly it was radically reshaped and nativized in Japan."<ref>Bjarkman (2004), p. xix.</ref>

=== Western Hemisphere ===
American influence in the Western Hemisphere has meant that baseball grew significantly in the region.

==== In the United States ====
{{See also|Baseball in Canada}}
The major league game in the United States was originally targeted toward a middle-class, white-collar audience: relative to other spectator pastimes, the National League's set ticket price of 50 cents in 1876 was high, while the location of playing fields outside the inner city and the workweek daytime scheduling of games were also obstacles to a blue-collar audience.<ref>Riess (1991), pp. 69–71.</ref> A century later, the situation was very different. With the rise in popularity of other team sports with much higher average ticket prices—football, basketball, and hockey—professional baseball had become among the most popular blue-collar-oriented American spectator sports.<ref>Riess (1991), pp. 247–248.</ref>

[[File:Tigers2017Champions.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|The [[Tampere Tigers]] celebrating the 2017 title in [[Turku]], [[Finland]]]]
Overall, baseball has a large following in the United States; a 2006 poll found that nearly half of Americans are fans.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jones|first=Jeffrey M.|date=April 4, 2006|title=Nearly Half of Americans are Baseball Fans|url=http://news.gallup.com/poll/22240/nearly-half-americans-baseball-fans.aspx|access-date=May 31, 2018|publisher=Gallup}}</ref> This led to baseball being granted the title of "America's favorite pastime" by many American baseball fans.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-03-14 |title=America's Favorite Pastime |url=https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/baseball-and-the-archives |access-date=2024-03-11 |website=National Archives |language=en}}</ref> The game was historically seen as contributing to the [[melting pot]] society of the nation, encouraging immigrants to integrate.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Missimer |first=Katy |date=2019-03-18 |title=American Immigration and Baseball: A Parallel Pastime |url=https://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/the_histories/vol5/iss2/5/ |journal=The Histories |volume=5 |issue=2}}</ref> In the late 1900s and early 2000s, baseball's position compared to football in the United States moved in contradictory directions. In 2008, MLB set a revenue record of $6.5&nbsp;billion, matching the NFL's revenue for the first time in decades.<ref>{{cite news|author=Kercheval, Nancy|date=October 1, 2008|title=Major League Baseball Revenue Reaches Record, Attendance Falls|publisher=Bloomberg.com|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=asFEMjfiKA5s|url-status=dead|access-date=February 8, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629051650/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=asFEMjfiKA5s|archive-date=June 29, 2011}} {{cite news|author=Battista, Judy|date=December 9, 2008|title=Feeling Pinch, N.F.L. Will Cut About 150 Jobs|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/sports/football/10nfl.html|access-date=February 8, 2009}} {{cite web|author=Haudricourt, Tom|date=October 20, 2007|title=Bases Loaded|url=http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/29405374.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706194429/http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/29405374.html|archive-date=July 6, 2009|access-date=February 8, 2009|work=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]}}</ref> A new MLB revenue record of more than $10&nbsp;billion was set in 2017.<ref>{{cite news|date=November 22, 2017|title=Report: MLB revenues exceed $10 billion for the first time|work=USA Today|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2017/11/22/mlb-revenues-exceed-10-billion/890041001/|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref> On the other hand, the percentage of American sports fans polled who named baseball as their favorite sport was 9%, compared to pro football at 37%.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bonesteel|first=Matt|date=January 10, 2018|title=Despite all the bad news, poll shows football still is America's favorite sport by a wide margin|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2018/01/10/despite-all-the-bad-news-poll-shows-football-still-is-americas-favorite-sport-by-a-wide-margin/|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref> In 1985, the respective figures were pro football 24%, baseball 23%.<ref>{{cite web|date=January 27, 2009|title=Professional Football Continues Dominance over Baseball as America's Favorite Sport|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/sports-recreation/sports-games-outdoor/11762627-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110110073300/http://www.allbusiness.com/sports-recreation/sports-games-outdoor/11762627-1.html|archive-date=January 10, 2011|access-date=September 15, 2010|work=Business Wire|publisher=AllBusiness}}</ref> Because there are so many more major league games played, there is no comparison in overall attendance.<ref>{{cite news|last=McGinty|first=Jo Craven|date=April 10, 2015|title=Popularity Contest: Baseball vs. Football|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/popularity-contest-baseball-vs-football-1428679449|url-access=subscription|access-date=May 18, 2018}}</ref> In 2008, total attendance at major league games was the second-highest in history: 78.6&nbsp;million, 0.7% off the record set the previous year.<ref name="MajorAtRec" /> The following year, amid the U.S. recession, attendance fell by 6.6% to 73.4&nbsp;million.<ref name="Brown10">{{cite web|author=Brown, Maury|date=February 25, 2010|title=MLB Sees a Record $6.6 Billion in Revenues for 2009|url=http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4124:mlb-sees-a-record-66-billion-in-revenues-for-2009&catid=30:mlb-news&Itemid=42|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101027080204/http://bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4124%3Amlb-sees-a-record-66-billion-in-revenues-for-2009&catid=30%3Amlb-news&Itemid=42|archive-date=October 27, 2010|access-date=September 17, 2010|publisher=Biz of Baseball}}</ref> Eight years later, it dropped under 73&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news|author=Jeff Passan|date=April 16, 2018|title=10 Degrees: MLB's enormous attendance drop due to bad weather or something far worse for baseball?|work=Yahoo Sports|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/10-degrees-mlbs-enormous-attendance-drop-due-bad-weather-something-far-worse-baseball-152051024.html|access-date=June 16, 2018}}</ref> Attendance at games held under the Minor League Baseball umbrella set a record in 2008, with 43.3&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web|date=September 9, 2015|title=Minor League attendance tops 42.5 million|url=https://www.milb.com/milb/news/gcs-148297748|access-date=June 16, 2018|publisher=Minor League Baseball}}</ref> While MLB games have not drawn the same national TV viewership as football games, MLB games are dominant in teams' local markets and regularly lead all programs in [[primetime]] in their markets during the summer.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hayes|first1=Dade|date=February 14, 2020|title=Baseball Returns As Playoff Format Debate, Houston Astros Cheating Scandal Raise Questions About Future Of ESPN, Turner TV Rights|work=Deadline|url=https://deadline.com/2020/02/baseball-houston-astros-playoff-format-changes-tv-rights-1202859213/|access-date=October 29, 2020}}</ref> After multiple years of declines since 2017, Baseball attendance has grown slightly in recent years. In 2024, attendance was 71.3 million, the highest since 2017.<ref>{{cite news|date=October 1, 2024|title=MLB Finishes 2024 Season With Highest Attendance in Seven Years|work=Major League Baseball|url=https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-mlb-finishes-2024-season-with-highest-attendance-in-seven-years|access-date=May 10, 2025}}</ref>

==== Latin America ====
{{See also|Latin America–United States relations}}
Baseball is very popular in Venezuela; in 2011, 95% of people surveyed claimed it to be the national sport.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lang |first=Jack |title=Baseball is Venezuela's national sport – but the 2024 Copa America shows why that might be changing |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5615753/2024/07/05/venezuela-copa-america-baseball-soccer/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In Nicaragua and Panama, baseball is also considered the national sport.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adler|first=David|date=March 7, 2023 |title=The history of baseball in Nicaragua |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/nicaragua-baseball-history |access-date=May 10, 2025 |website=Major League Baseball |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=March 18, 2025 |title=Over 200K fans show up for Panama's U-18 National Baseball Championship as Coclé repeats championship run |url=https://www.wbsc.org/en/news/over-200k-fans-show-up-for-panamas-u-18-national-baseball-championship-as-cocle-repeats-championship-run |access-date=May 10, 2025 |website=WBSC |language=en}}</ref> While soccer is still more popular, baseball is a fast growing sport in Mexico. In 2024, top [[Mexican League]] baseball teams outdraw some [[Liga MX]] teams in attendance.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodriguez|first=Carlos|date=April 16, 2025 |title=Mexican Baseball League eager to build on growing attendance|url=https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2025/apr/16/mexican-baseball-league-eager-to-build-on-growing/ |access-date=April 16, 2025 |website=Chattanooga Time Free Press |language=en}}</ref> Baseball also is somewhat popular in Colombia, though secondary to soccer, especially in coastal areas such as [[Barranquilla]] and [[Cartagena, Colombia|Cartagena]] near the Caribbean.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Paul Morosi|first=John|date=September 24, 2020 |title=Next baseball juggernaut? Colombia has case|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/colombia-becoming-baseball-powerhouse |access-date=May 10, 2025 |website=Major League Baseball|language=en}}</ref> In recent years, Baseball has grown in popularity in Colombia, especially in the capital of [[Bogotá]], due an increase of Venezuelan immigrants.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wagner|first=James|date=November 24, 2023 |title=Baseball Flourishes in Colombia’s Capital. But Not Because of Colombians|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/24/sports/baseball/baseball-colombia-bogota-venezuela.html# |access-date=May 10, 2025 |website=The New York Times |language=en}}</ref> In Brazil, baseball fan popularity has grown in last few years, thanks to MLB broadcasts in [[ESPN (Brazil)|Brazilian ESPN]] and the historic silver medal in [[Baseball at the 2023 Pan American Games|2023 Pan-American games]]. However, it still lags behind [[Basketball in Brazil|Basketball]] and [[American football in Brazil|American Football]] in the list of most played sports in Brazil.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pessôa |first=Lucas |title=Impulsionado por força econômica da MLB, beisebol mira expansão no Brasil |trans-title=Driven by MLB's economic strength, Baseball aims for expansion in Brazil |url=https://www.lance.com.br/lancebiz/mercado-do-esporte/pais-do-beisebol-impulsionado-por-forca-economica-da-mlb-esporte-mira-expansao-no-brasil.html |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=[[Lance!]] |language=pt-br}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-23 |title=How Baseball Became Brazilian |url=https://defector.com/how-baseball-became-brazilian |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=defector.com |language=en}}</ref> Baseball has also grown in popularity in Argentina and Peru in recent years due to Venezuelan immigrants.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zea|first=Tibisay|date=June 24, 2024 |title=Baseball rises in Argentina thanks to Venezuelan migration |url=https://theworld.org/stories/2024/06/24/baseball-rises-in-argentina-thanks-to-venezuelan-migration |access-date=May 10, 2025 |website=The World |language=en}}</ref> Costa Rica has also seen a growth in the popularity of baseball. Since 1987, baseballs have exclusively been made in the Costa Rican town of [[Turrialba (district)|Turrialba]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Llorca Castro|first=Fernando|date=October 25, 2021 |title=Turrialba Makes, the World Series Takes|url=https://www.wsj.com/opinion/turrialba-makes-the-world-series-takes-baseball-costa-rica-11635195464 |access-date=May 10, 2025 |website=The Wall Street Journal|language=en}}</ref> The sport's overall popularity in Latin America has assisted in integrating [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Latin American migrants to the United States]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chamberlain |first=Craig |date=2020-10-12 |title=Capturing the story of Latinos and baseball {{!}} College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at Illinois |url=https://las.illinois.edu/news/2020-10-12/capturing-story-latinos-and-baseball |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=las.illinois.edu |language=en}}</ref>

==== Caribbean ====
Since the early 1980s, the Dominican Republic, in particular the city of [[San Pedro de Macorís]], has been the major leagues' primary source of foreign talent.<ref>Bjarkman (2004), pp. 159–165.</ref> In 2017, 83 of the 868 players on MLB Opening Day rosters (and disabled lists) were from the country. Among other Caribbean countries and territories, a combined 97 MLB players were born in Venezuela, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.<ref>{{cite web|title=Opening Day Rosters Feature 230 Players Born Outside the U.S.|date=April 6, 2015 |publisher=Major League Baseball|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/opening-day-rosters-feature-230-players-born-outside-the-us/c-116591920|access-date=April 24, 2018}}</ref> Hall-of-Famer [[Roberto Clemente]] remains one of the greatest national heroes in Puerto Rico's history.<ref>Bjarkman (2004), p. 487.</ref> While baseball has long been the island's primary athletic pastime, its once well-attended professional winter league has declined in popularity since 1990, when young Puerto Rican players began to be included in the major leagues' annual first-year player draft.<ref>{{cite news|author=Castillo, Jorge|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/sports/baseball/puerto-rico-traces-decline-in-prospects-to-inclusion-in-the-baseball-draft.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/sports/baseball/puerto-rico-traces-decline-in-prospects-to-inclusion-in-the-baseball-draft.html |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |url-access=limited|title=Puerto Rico Traces Baseball's Slide to the Draft|date=January 16, 2012|access-date=January 25, 2012|work=The New York Times}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In Cuba, where baseball is by every reckoning the national sport,<ref>González Echevarría (2001), pp. 76, 133, 278–279, 352.</ref> the national team overshadows the city and provincial teams that play in the top-level domestic leagues.<ref name="WW">{{cite news |author=Weissert, Will |date=March 5, 2009 |title=Cubans' Baseball Dreams Take Root on Rocky Fields |work=USA Today |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2009-03-05-3277668016_x.htm |access-date=April 28, 2009}}</ref> Baseball is also one of the most popular sports of [[Aruba]] and [[Curaçao]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Belson|first=Ken |date=March 7, 2017 |title=With Talent From Two Small Islands, the Netherlands Is a W.B.C. Favorite |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/07/sports/baseball/wbc-netherlands-win.html |access-date=May 10, 2025}}</ref> and a growing sport in [[The Bahamas]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Yates|first=Clinton|date=January 24, 2022 |title=Baseball and the Bahamas: A deeper bond than you may realize |work=Andscape|url=https://andscape.com/features/baseball-and-the-bahamas-a-deeper-bond-than-you-may-realize/ |access-date=May 10, 2025}}</ref>

=== Asia ===
[[File:Afghan girl playing baseball in 2002.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7|An Afghan girl playing baseball in August 2002]]
In East Asia, baseball is among the most popular sports in Japan,<ref>{{cite news |author=Hernandez, Dylan |date=March 21, 2017 |title=World Baseball Classic keeps sport relevant in Japan |url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-us-japan-hernandez-20170321-story.html |access-date=April 26, 2018 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Taiwan<ref>{{Cite news |title=A Cultural Exploration of Baseball in Taiwan |url=https://english.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=3729 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240704221715/https://english.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=3729 |archive-date=July 4, 2024 |access-date=2025-01-10 |work=[[CommonWealth Magazine (Taiwan)|CommonWealth Magazine]] |language=zh-TW |url-status=live }}</ref> and South Korea.<ref>{{Cite web |title=South Korea baseball history |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/south-korea-baseball-history |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref> In Japan, where baseball is inarguably the [[Baseball in Japan|leading spectator team sport]], combined revenue for the twelve teams in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), the body that oversees both the Central and Pacific Leagues, was estimated at $1&nbsp;billion in 2007. Total NPB attendance for the year was approximately 20&nbsp;million. While in the preceding two decades, MLB attendance grew by 50 percent and revenue nearly tripled, the comparable NPB figures were stagnant. There are concerns that MLB's growing interest in acquiring star Japanese players will hurt the game in their home country.<ref name=RW>{{Cite news|author=Whiting, Robert|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2007/04/11/baseball/is-the-mlb-destroying-japans-national-pastime/|title=Is the MLB Destroying Japan's National Pastime?|date=April 11, 2007|access-date=February 8, 2009|work=[[The Japan Times]]}}</ref> Revenue figures are not released for the country's amateur system. Similarly, according to one official pronouncement, the sport's governing authority "has never taken into account attendance&nbsp;... because its greatest interest has always been the development of athletes".<ref>González Echevarría (2001), p. 366.</ref> In Taiwan, baseball is one of the [[Baseball in Taiwan|most widely spectated sports, in TV and person]].<ref name="Taiwan Culture Portal">{{Cite web |last=Yeh |first=Joseph |date=September 30, 2008 |title=Taiwan Baseball a new rallying point for national pride |url=http://www.culture.tw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=918&Itemid=157 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712193311/http://www.culture.tw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=918&Itemid=157 |archive-date=July 12, 2015 |access-date= May 1, 2022}}</ref>

Baseball has [[Baseball in China|grown significantly in China]] in recent years, with MLB estimating in 2019 that there are 21 million active fans in the country.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Feature: China sees growing youthful exuberance on baseball diamond -Xinhua |url=https://english.news.cn/20231024/88327d19144e4ada846036e80a00365d/c.html |access-date=2024-06-03 |website=english.news.cn}}</ref>

=== Elsewhere ===
Baseball is generally a niche sport in Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stangler|first=Cole|title=Does Baseball Have a Future in Europe?|url=https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/ducks-over-pond |website=Commonweal|date=July 6, 2019|access-date=May 11, 2025}}</ref> However, Baseball is somewhat popular in the Netherlands, where it is known as Honkbal, thanks to influence from the United States after World War II and the Kingdoms control over Aruba and Curaçao where it is the most popular sport.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tagliabue|first=John|title=In Netherlands, Soccer Is King, but Baseball Eyes Crown|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/world/europe/21dutch.html |website=The New York Times|date=May 21, 2008|access-date=May 11, 2025}}</ref> Baseball is also somewhat popular in portions of Italy, especially in the town of [[Nettuno]], due to influence from American soldiers after World War II.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Monagan|first=Matt|title=The seaside Italian town obsessed with baseball|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/the-italian-town-obsessed-with-baseball |website=Major League Baseball|date=March 1, 2023|access-date=May 11, 2025}}</ref> Baseball has grown in recent years in the [[Czech Republic]], due in part to the Czech teams' success in the [[2023 World Baseball Classic]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Wisniewski|first1=Emilia|last2=Durben|first2=Alexa|title=Czech national baseball team expands its family of supporters|url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/2024/10/01/czech-national-baseball-team-expands-its-family-of-supporters/75147268007/ |website=Knoxville News Sentinel|date=October 1, 2024|access-date=May 11, 2025}}</ref> Outside of Europe, Baseball is a niche sport in Australia but the country does have a professional league. Because the league is played in winter for the western hemisphere, it attracts American and Korean professional players looking to play [[winter league baseball]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garro|first=Adrian|title='Something in the water': What makes Australian baseball so special?|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/australian-baseball-league-and-what-makes-it-special |website=Major League Baseball|date=March 27, 2024|access-date=May 11, 2025}}</ref>

=== Among children ===
{{as of|2018}}, [[Little League Baseball]] oversees leagues with close to 2.4&nbsp;million participants in over 80 countries.<ref>{{cite web|title=Little League International General Media Guide 2018|publisher=Little League Baseball|year=2018|page=3|url=https://ll-production-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/12/General-Media-Guide-1.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://ll-production-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/12/General-Media-Guide-1.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref> The number of players has fallen since the 1990s, when 3 million children took part in Little League Baseball annually.<ref>{{cite news|author=Fisher, Mark|title=Baseball is struggling to hook kids – and risks losing fans to other sports|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=April 5, 2015|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/baseballs-trouble-with-the-youth-curve--and-what-that-means-for-the-game/2015/04/05/2da36dca-d7e8-11e4-8103-fa84725dbf9d_story.html|access-date=April 30, 2018}}</ref> Babe Ruth League teams have over 1&nbsp;million participants.<ref>{{cite web|title=History of the Babe Ruth League Program|url=https://www.baberuthleague.org/history.aspx|publisher=Babe Ruth League Online|access-date=April 10, 2018}}</ref> According to the president of the International Baseball Federation, between 300,000 and 500,000 women and girls play baseball around the world, including Little League and the introductory game of [[Tee Ball]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Frommer, Frederic J|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2009-04-06-2437047144_x.htm|title=Baseball to Add Women to Olympic Bid|date=April 6, 2009|access-date=April 29, 2009|agency=Associated Press|work=USA Today}}</ref>

A varsity baseball team is an established part of [[physical education]] departments at most high schools and colleges in the United States.<ref name=MB>{{cite web|author=Bradford, Marcia|title=Expanding Opportunities on the Ball Fields|url=http://www.sportseventsmagazine.com/article/baseballsoftball/207/|work=SportsEvents Magazine|year=2008|access-date=May 3, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209193735/http://www.sportseventsmagazine.com/article/baseballsoftball/207/|archive-date=February 9, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2015, nearly half a million high schoolers and over 34,000 collegians played on their schools' baseball teams.<ref>{{cite web|title=Estimated probability of competing in college athletics|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association|url=https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/research/estimated-probability-competing-college-athletics|access-date=April 22, 2018|date=March 2, 2015}}</ref> By early in the 20th century, intercollegiate baseball was Japan's leading sport. Today, [[High school baseball in Japan|high school baseball]] in particular is immensely popular there.<ref>Bjarkman (2004), p. xxiv; Gmelch (2006), pp. 23, 53.</ref> The final rounds of the two annual tournaments—the [[National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament]] in the spring, and the even more important [[National High School Baseball Championship]] in the summer—are broadcast around the country. The tournaments are known, respectively, as Spring Koshien and Summer Koshien after the [[Koshien Stadium|55,000-capacity stadium]] where they are played.<ref>{{cite web|author=Ellsesser, Stephen|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060810&content_id=1602960|title=Summer Tournament Is Big in Japan|date=August 11, 2006|access-date=April 28, 2009|publisher=Major League Baseball|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091014063836/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060810&content_id=1602960|archive-date=October 14, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> In Cuba, baseball is a mandatory part of the state system of physical education, which begins at age six. Talented children as young as seven are sent to special district schools for more intensive training—the first step on a ladder whose acme is the national baseball team.<ref name=WW/>

=== In popular culture ===
[[File:Honus wagner t206 baseball card.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|The [[American Tobacco Company]]'s line of baseball cards featured shortstop [[Honus Wagner]] of the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] from 1909 to 1911. In 2007, [[T206 Honus Wagner|the card shown here]] sold for $2.8&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3007893|title=Honus Wagner Card Sells for Record $2.8 Million|agency=Associated Press|publisher=ESPN|date=September 6, 2007|access-date=May 3, 2009}}</ref>]]

Baseball has had a broad impact on popular culture, both in the United States and elsewhere. Dozens of [[English language idioms derived from baseball|English-language idioms have been derived from baseball]]; in particular, the game is the source of a number of widely used [[Baseball metaphors for sex|sexual euphemisms]].<ref>Kte'pi (2009), p. 66.</ref> The first networked radio broadcasts in North America were of the [[1922 World Series]]: famed sportswriter [[Grantland Rice]] announced [[play-by-play]] from New York City's [[Polo Grounds]] on [[WABC (AM)#WJZ Newark (1921–1923)|WJZ]]–[[Newark, New Jersey]], which was connected by wire to [[WGY (AM)|WGY]]–[[Schenectady, New York]], and [[WBZ (AM)|WBZ]]–[[Springfield, Massachusetts]].<ref>Rudel (2008), pp. 145–146.</ref> The [[baseball cap]] has become a ubiquitous fashion item not only in the United States and Japan, but also in countries where the sport itself is not particularly popular, such as the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|author=Lam, Andrew|url=http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/Too-much-self-esteem-spoils-your-child-2552521.php|title=Too Much Self Esteem Spoils Your Child|publisher=New America Media|date=July 6, 2007|access-date=May 2, 2009}} {{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/3660333.stm|title=Happy 50th, Baseball Caps|work=BBC News|date=April 27, 2004|access-date=May 2, 2009}}</ref>

Baseball has inspired many works of art and entertainment. One of the first major examples, [[Ernest Thayer]]'s poem "[[Casey at the Bat]]", appeared in 1888. A wry description of the failure of a star player in what would now be called a "clutch situation", the poem became the source of [[vaudeville]] and other staged performances, audio recordings, film adaptations, and an opera, as well as a host of sequels and parodies in various media. There have been many [[baseball movie]]s, including the [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]]–winning ''[[The Pride of the Yankees]]'' (1942) and the Oscar nominees ''[[The Natural (film)|The Natural]]'' (1984) and ''[[Field of Dreams]]'' (1989). The [[American Film Institute]]'s selection of the ten best sports movies includes ''The Pride of the Yankees'' at number 3 and ''[[Bull Durham]]'' (1988) at number 5.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/10top10/sports.html|title=AFI 10 Top 10—Top 10 Sports|publisher=[[American Film Institute]]|date=June 17, 2008|access-date=May 2, 2009}}</ref> Baseball has provided thematic material for hits on both stage—the [[Richard Adler|Adler]]–[[Jerry Ross (composer)|Ross]] musical ''[[Damn Yankees]]''—and record—[[George J. Gaskin]]'s "Slide, Kelly, Slide", [[Simon and Garfunkel]]'s "[[Mrs. Robinson]]", and [[John Fogerty]]'s "[[Centerfield (song)|Centerfield]]".<ref>Zoss (2004), pp. 373–374.</ref> The baseball-inspired comedic sketch "[[Who's on First?]]", popularized by [[Abbott and Costello]] in 1938, quickly became famous. Six decades later, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' named it the best comedy routine of the 20th century.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,36533,00.html|title=The Best of the Century|magazine=Time|date=December 26, 1999|access-date=May 2, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090504145236/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C36533%2C00.html|archive-date=May 4, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Literary works connected to the game include the short fiction of [[Ring Lardner]] and novels such as [[Bernard Malamud]]'s ''[[The Natural]]'' (the source for the movie), [[Robert Coover]]'s ''[[The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop.]]'', [[John Grisham]]'s [[Calico Joe]] and [[W. P. Kinsella]]'s ''[[Shoeless Joe (novel)|Shoeless Joe]]'' (the source for ''Field of Dreams''). Baseball's literary canon also includes the beat reportage of [[Damon Runyon]]; the columns of Grantland Rice, [[Red Smith (sportswriter)|Red Smith]], [[Dick Young (sportswriter)|Dick Young]], and [[Peter Gammons]]; and the essays of [[Roger Angell]]. Among the celebrated nonfiction books in the field are [[Lawrence S. Ritter]]'s ''[[The Glory of Their Times]]'', [[Roger Kahn]]'s ''[[The Boys of Summer (book)|The Boys of Summer]]'', and [[Michael Lewis (author)|Michael Lewis]]'s ''[[Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game|Moneyball]]''. The 1970 publication of major league pitcher [[Jim Bouton]]'s tell-all chronicle ''[[Ball Four]]'' is considered a turning point in the reporting of professional sports.<ref>{{cite web|author=Neyer, Rob|author-link=Rob Neyer|url=http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/ballfour/neyer.html|title='Ball Four' Changed Sports ''and'' Books|work=ESPN.com|date=June 15, 2000|access-date=May 12, 2009}}</ref>

Baseball has also inspired the creation of new cultural forms. [[Baseball card]]s were introduced in the late 19th century as [[trade card]]s. A typical example featured an image of a baseball player on one side and advertising for a business on the other. In the early 1900s they were produced widely as promotional items by tobacco and confectionery companies. The 1930s saw the popularization of the modern style of baseball card, with a player photograph accompanied on the rear by statistics and biographical data. Baseball cards—many of which are now prized collectibles—are the source of the much broader [[trading card]] industry, involving similar products for different sports and non-sports-related fields.<ref>Zoss (2004), pp. 16–25.</ref>

Modern [[fantasy sports]] began in 1980 with the invention of [[Fantasy baseball#Rotisserie League Baseball|Rotisserie League Baseball]] by New York writer [[Daniel Okrent]] and several friends. Participants in a Rotisserie league draft notional teams from the list of active MLB players and play out an entire imaginary season with game outcomes based on the players' latest real-world statistics. Rotisserie-style play quickly became a phenomenon. Now known more generically as [[fantasy baseball]], it has inspired similar games based on an array of different sports.<ref>Zoss (2004), pp. 27–31.</ref> The field boomed with increasing Internet access and new fantasy sports-related websites. By 2008, 29.9 million people in the United States and Canada were playing fantasy sports, spending $800&nbsp;million on the hobby.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/07/prweb1084994.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503091523/http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/07/prweb1084994.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 3, 2009|title=Fantasy Sports Industry Grows to an $800 Million Industry with 29.9 Million Players|work=PRWeb|date=July 10, 2008|access-date=October 25, 2011}}</ref> The burgeoning popularity of fantasy baseball is also credited with the increasing attention paid to sabermetrics—first among fans, only later among baseball professionals.<ref>Lewis (2003), pp. 86–88.</ref>

=== Derivative games ===
{{Main|Variations of baseball}}
[[File:Queens stickball.jpg|thumb|198x198px|[[Stickball]] is a common street variant of baseball which often features impromptu adaptations. (Note the painted strike zone on the wall behind the batter.)]]
Informal [[variations of baseball]] have popped up over time, with games like [[corkball]] reflecting local traditions and allowing the game to be played in diverse environments.<ref>{{cite web|title=Derivative Games|publisher=Major League Baseball|url=https://mlb.mlb.com/memorylab/spread_of_baseball/derivative_games.jsp|access-date=February 20, 2022}}</ref> Two variations of baseball, [[softball]] and [[Baseball5]], are internationally governed alongside baseball by the [[World Baseball Softball Confederation]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=WBSC – World Baseball Softball Confederation|url=https://www.wbsc.org/|access-date=October 4, 2021|website=wbsc.org|language=en}}</ref>

==== British baseball ====
{{Main|British baseball}}
American [[professional baseball]] teams toured Britain in 1874 and 1889, and had a great effect on similar sports in Britain. In Wales and Merseyside, a strong community game had already developed with skills and plays more in keeping with the American game and the Welsh began to informally adopt the name "baseball" (Pêl Fas), to reflect the American style. By the 1890s, calls were made to follow the success of other working class sports (like Rugby in Wales and Soccer in Merseyside) and adopt a distinct set of rules and bureaucracy.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales|publisher=University of Wales Press|year=2008|isbn=978-0-7083-1953-6|editor1-last=Davies|editor1-first=John|editor1-link=John Davies (historian)|location=Cardiff|page=53|editor2-last=Jenkins|editor2-first=Nigel|editor2-link=Nigel Jenkins|editor3-last=Menna|editor3-first=Baines|editor4-last=Lynch|editor4-first=Peredur I.}}</ref> During the 1892 season rules for the game of "baseball" were agreed and the game was officially codified.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ivor Beynon & Bob Evans|title=The Inside Story of Baseball|date=1962|location=Cardiff|page=4|language=en}}</ref>

==== Finnish baseball ====
{{Main|Pesäpallo}}
Finnish baseball, also known as pesäpallo, is a combination of traditional ball-batting team games and North American baseball, invented by [[Lauri Pihkala|Lauri "Tahko" Pihkala]] in the 1920s.<ref name="INTRO2">{{cite web|title=Introduction to the game|url=http://www.pesis.fi/pesapalloliitto/international_site/introduction/|access-date=October 16, 2015|website=Pesis.fi|publisher=Pesäpalloliitto|archive-date=October 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029075041/http://www.pesis.fi/pesapalloliitto/international_site/introduction/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/first-english-language-broadcast-of-finland-baseball-game-pesapallo|title=There's a pitcher, a batter... even a river sometimes. Welcome to Finnish baseball|first=Michael|last=Clair|publisher=[[Major League Baseball]]|date=2 August 2024|access-date=4 August 2024}}</ref> The basic idea of pesäpallo is similar to that of baseball: the offense tries to score by hitting the ball successfully and running through the bases, while the defense tries to put the batter and runners out. One of the most important differences between pesäpallo and baseball is that the ball is pitched vertically, which makes hitting the ball, as well as controlling the power and direction of the hit, much easier. This gives the offensive game more variety, speed, and tactical aspects compared to baseball.<ref name="INTRO2"/>