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Baseball's not quite as American...

as everyone thinks.

Jane Austen knew about it 40 years before it was supposedly invented in Cooperstown.

1 comment:

  1. Just took a baseball history class this summer, actually. This isn't surprising at all. What is surprising is that the myth of the Coopertown invention of baseball isn't more widely debunked. That was a publicity stunt done by Spalding and others in the 20's.

    The origins of the American game came in the late 18th century in New York City. I've got a paper I wrote about it around here somewhere if anyone is really that interested.

    I recommend HIS365G, Baseball and American Culture, Dr. Lesch, University Extension -- if you can get in. It's always full every summer.

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