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History

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History of the Game

Doubleday to Present Day
      • Hank Aaron
      • Bud Selig's top memory was Hank Aaron securing the 1957 NL pennant for the Braves with a walk-off homer.

    • Your memories help bring game to life

    • Focusing on the intersection of personal history and the national pastime, BaseballMemoryLab.com spotlights two aspects of baseball history -- the origins and evolution of the game, and fan-submitted memories and recollections. More >

    • Historical Stats:
      • Search for a player:
      • Batting Leaders:
      • Pitching Leaders:
      • Team-by-team results:

    • Year in Review

    • MLB.com takes a look back at the season that was, with multimedia, team coverage, special features and the major events that highlighted each campaign.

    • This Day in Baseball History

    • September 23, 1908 > Fred Merkle of the New York Giants commits one of the most famous gaffes in baseball history. Merkle is standing on first base when Al Bridwell singles in the bottom of the ninth, driving home Harry McCormick with what appears to be the winning run against the Cubs. But Merkle is called out when he fails to touch second base, negating the run and causing the game to end in a tie. The mistake jumps up to bite Merkle when both the Giants and Cubs finish the season with identical records, and are forced to replay the game. The Cubs win the rematch, 4-2, to take the NL pennant.
    • This Week in Baseball History >

    • Downloads from Itunes

    • Yanks lift WS trophy in '09
    • Classic games, All-Star, Postseason and Games of the Year: download from the MLB.com Store in iTunes, ready for your device or Apple TV.

    • All-Star Game

    • AL wins thriller in '08
    • Relive All-Star week events, including the Futures Game, Home Run Derby, with All-Star Game results, MVPs, all-time roster, and more.

    • First-Year Player Draft

    • Joe Mauer, 2001
    • Sort every draft pick by year and team or draft type, find the No. 1 overall picks by year, and see what players were drafted and then sent straight to the Majors.

    • Baseball's Best

    • Mr. October
    • Watch or listen to the best games ever. You can hear baseball radio legends call baseball history as it happens and watch complete games or jump to any half-inning.

    • Team Histories

    • Ebbets Field
    • From the 1800s on, get year-by-year results, timelines, all-time rosters, leaders and stats, awards and honors, plus multimedia and more.

    • Special Reports

    • Bob Gibson
    • MLB.com's extended coverage of great baseball moments, such Ichiro's hits record, retrospectives on retired players, like Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, and more.

    • Milestones

    • Walter Johnson
    • Find members of baseball's most exclusive clubs: 300 Wins, 3,000 Strikeouts, 500 Homers and 3,000 Hits. Plus the Milestone Tracker and milestone achievements.

    • Rare and Memorable Feats

    • Nolan Ryan
    • Baseball's most unusual, and often exciting events. Browse the no-hitters, perfect games, longest hitting streaks, and much more.

    • Awards and Honors

    • Roberto Clemente
    • From regular honors, such as Player of the Week and Player of the Month, to prizes like the the MVP, all the bases are covered.

    • Hall of Fame

    • Jackie Robinson's plaque
    • Information on all of the Cooperstown members back to the first Hall class of 1936, including first-year electees and highest voting percentages.

    • Tributes

    • Ted Williams
    • Saying goodbye to baseball legends, including broadcasters, and paying respect to the people who make the game a great spectacle.

    • Interleague Play

    • AL vs. NL
    • An overview of Interleague origins, with all-time leaders, team-by-team records, plus year-by-year stats and special features.

    • Negro Leagues

    • Chicago American Giants
    • Discover information about the legacy of the Negro Leagues, with team histories, editorial features, plus multimedia highlights such as video features.

    • Commissioners

    • Kenesaw Mountain Landis
    • Since baseball's beginnings in the mid-19th century, the governance of the game has evolved to a central figure with considerable powers called the Commissioner.