Various previous sports and games led to the creation of modern baseball. Credit for its invention is claimed by a number of sources.

Modern Baseball

Baseball was brought to the United States by British and Irish immigrants in the late 1700's, but the first team to play baseball under modern rules were the New York Knickerbockers in 1845. It was adopted as a national pastime during the last half of the 19th century.

Earlier Inspirations

The English game of Rounders. Rounders has been played since the Tudor times, and was invented for children who needed mild exercise. It involved hitting a ball and running four bases.

Baseball also has similarities to English Cricket.

The Romanian game Oina, which originated during the 1300s and was originally played by shepherds. Oina used more players and a longer bat, but has very similar rules to baseball.

Historical References to baseball as a game