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Baseball / Baseball Travel / → All Tags

He Got Game: Baseball Older, Britisher Than Previously Thought

For generations, the sport of baseball has been considered an American creation. Sure, the British games of cricket and rounders might have provided a basic framework, but it was in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1846 that the first "official" game of modern baseball was played. Right?

Maybe not. A recent AP item points out the discovery last year of a diary entry that mentions "base ball" about fifty years before the next known reference to the game. The diary belonged to William Bray (pictured), an English lawyer who mentions playing a game of base ball on the day after Easter - a traditional holiday in the U.K. - in 1755.

"Went to Stoke Ch. This morning. After Dinner Went to Miss Jeale's to play at Base Ball with her, the 3 Miss Whiteheads, Miss Billinghurst, Miss Molly Flutter, Mr. Chandler, Mr. Ford & H. Parsons & Jelly. Drank Tea and stayed till 8."

Good golly, Miss Molly Flutter. The diary has caused quite a stir among historians, including a film crew from Major League Baseball Advanced Media, whose Base Ball Discovered delves into the latest tantalizing clue to the origins of the sport. The film will be one of nine to be shown next weekend (September 20-21, 2008) at the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum's 3rd Annual Baseball Film Festival. So if you've ever been curious as to why people find the act of hitting and fielding so fascinating, head on over to Cooperstown, New York for a primer on this most American of British sports.

[Photo: AP/USA Today]

Related Stories
· Earliest Reference to Baseball Found in England [AP/USA Today]
· Baseball Film Festival [National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum]
· Baseball Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

Baseball / Celebs / Sports / New York City / → All Tags

Catch the Rocketman at Yankee Stadium

As it turns out, we were at Yankee Stadium when Roger Clemens announced that the Bombers "Came and got me out of Texas." And though not everyone--like the entire city of Houston and this guy--will be clamoring to get tickets to the Rocket's debut, undoubtedly there are plenty of baseball fans eager to watch the overcompensated has-been superstar don the pinstripes one last time. And so, after the jump, our down-and-dirty guide to catching a game at the House that Ruth Built.

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Hotels / HotelChatter / Baseball / → All Tags

Bless Me, Padres!

Even though the Padres are never all that good a team--consider their uniforms from the early days, which made them look like employees of some alternative universe Burger King--free is free. And free baseball is indeed what you'll be receiving if you stay at certain rooms at the Omni Hotel in San Diego, according to our sister over at HotelChatter.

Yep, the rooms have a pretty good view of not-so-historic PETCO Park. Looks like it's more outfield-centric, but that's not so bad; that way, you'll know when something big happens, like a home run. It's as if only the highlights of the game are outside your window--perfect if whomever you're staying with isn't such a big fan of America's pastime.

Related Stories:
·   Omni Hotel and PETCO Park [HotelChatter]

Good Fare / Baseball / St. Louis / Detroit / → All Tags

Good Fare: In the Catbird Seat

Jaunted Good Fare: St. Louis-Detroit, $123 RT

Fares that hover in the hundred dollar range are almost always worth exploring; it's about as cheap as things get here in the US. In honor of their mention on KSDK St. Louis, Airfare Watchdog ran a whole host of fares from the Gateway to the Midwest, one of which caught our eye.  

A few carriers are matching Southwest's $49 OW (it works out to about $123 RT) fare between St. Louis and Detroit. Thanks to the miracle of inter-league play and new baseball stadiums in St. Louis and Detroit, we'd recommend looking at the weekend of June 23rd. (Northwest still has fares available) That's when the Cardinals will head to Detroit to play the Tigers, who are surprisingly good this year.

No guarantees that it the streak will last until late June.  Otherwise, Motor City denizens might want to check out the Cardinals new home. It looks pretty sweet to us.

Related Stories:
·   Previous Good Fares [Jaunted]