HISTORY OF BASEBALL By Noah M. WHO INVENTED MODERN BASEBALL? • Alexander Joy Cartwright was a volunteer firefighter and bank clerk. He created a new set of rules, calling for a diamond shaped infield, foul lines and three strike rule. He got rid of the dangerous practice of tagging runners by throwing balls at them. WHO INVENTED MODERN BASEBALL? • Alexander Joy Cartwright was in the New York Knickerbocker baseball club. The New York Knickerbocker baseball club was founded in September 1845. In 1846 the New York Knickerbocker played the first official game of baseball against a team of cricket players. HISTORY OF THE HOUSTON BASEBALL • The Houston Colt 45 was Houston’s first baseball team. The Houston Colt’s first game was against the Chicago Cubs. In 1965 they moved to another stadium where the Houston Astros were born. HISTORY OF THE HOUSTON ASTROS • The Houston Astros weren’t a great team because they did not have superstars. After 43 seasons they finally made it to the world series but they lost all the games against the White Sox in 2005. In 2017 the Houston Astros won their first world series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. HISTORY OF THE HOUSTON ASTROS • On November 17th 2011 the previous owner Drayton McLane Jr. sold the Astros to Jim Crane for $680 million. In 2011, the Astros suffered their first 100 loss season in franchise history. In 2013, the Astros joined in- state rivals the Texas Rangers in the American League. BASEBALL IN ANCIENT EGYPT • Bating the ball (or “seker-hemat”) was an Egyptian bat-and-ball game, played by Egyptian pharaohs (with their priests as catchers). BASEBALL IN ANCIENT EGYPT • This is 400 BC relief from the temple of Philae in the southern Egypt. Baseball has deep roots in ancient Egypt. .