Editing Major League Baseball (section)

===Rise in popularity===
Baseball's popularity increased in the 1920s and 1930s. The 1920 season was notable for the death of [[Ray Chapman]] of the [[Cleveland Indians]]. Chapman, who was struck in the head by a pitch and died a few hours later, became the only MLB player to die of an on-field injury.<ref>{{cite web|title=Injury Report|url=https://www.mlb.com/injury-report|work=[[MLB.com]]|access-date=June 16, 2016|date=December 22, 2019|archive-date=February 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221230457/https://www.mlb.com/injury-report|url-status=live}}</ref> Both leagues quickly began to require the use of new, white baseballs whenever a ball became scuffed or dirty, helping bring the "dead-ball" era to an end.

The following year, the [[New York Yankees]] made their first World Series appearance.<ref name="Plaque">{{cite web|title=Indians uncover lost Chapman plaque|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2818187|work=[[ESPN.com]]|access-date=October 31, 2013|date=March 29, 2007|archive-date=November 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102121340/http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2818187|url-status=live}}</ref> By the end of the 1930s, the team had appeared in 11 World Series, winning eight of them.<ref name="BR">{{cite web|title=New York Yankees: Team History and Encyclopedia|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYY/|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=October 31, 2013|archive-date=April 6, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110406112352/http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYY/|url-status=live}}</ref> Yankees slugger [[Babe Ruth]] had set the single-season home run record in 1927, hitting 60 home runs; breaking his own record of 29 home runs.<ref name="Swat">{{cite book|last=McNeil|first=William|title=The King of Swat: An Analysis of Baseball's Home Run Hitters from the Major, Minor, Negro, and Japanese Leagues|year=1997|publisher=McFarland|isbn=0-7864-0362-4|page=32|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=inW5x6SDgkYC&q=babe+ruth+ned+williamson&pg=PA32|access-date=November 16, 2020|archive-date=July 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701112619/https://books.google.com/books?id=inW5x6SDgkYC&q=babe+ruth+ned+williamson&pg=PA32|url-status=live}}</ref>

Impacted negatively by the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]], baseball's popularity had begun a downward turn in the early 1930s. By 1932, only two MLB teams turned a profit. Attendance had fallen, due at least in part to a 10% federal amusement tax added to baseball ticket prices. Baseball owners cut their [[Major League Baseball rosters|rosters]] from 25 men to 23, and even the best players took pay cuts. Team executives were innovative in their attempts to survive, creating night games, broadcasting games live by radio, and rolling out promotions such as free admission for women. Throughout the Great Depression, no MLB teams moved or folded.<ref name="Belson">{{cite news|last=Belson|first=Ken|title=Apples for a Nickel, and Plenty of Empty Seats|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/sports/baseball/07depression.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|access-date=October 31, 2013|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 6, 2009|archive-date=June 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608053635/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/sports/baseball/07depression.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|url-status=live}}</ref>