The Origins of Professional Baseball in a

New Urban Culture

Urbanization Refers to

the growth and devel-opment of cities

Spurred by expanding industrial-ization after the Civil War

Mainly in the north New York

City Philadelphia Pittsburgh Cleveland Chicago Boston St. Louis Detroit Buffalo

Milwaukee

Forces of Urban Population Growth Many people sought

a better life in northern citiesImmigration

○ 14 million new immigrants between 1860 and 1900

Migration of African-Americans○ Many left the south

for northern cities after the Civil War

Cities were extremely dirty places … Garbage on streets Open sewers Horse manure Rats and other

vermin Smoke from

factories Soot

… and very crowded. Spacious housing

was not affordable for much of the working class.

Masses of people lived in slum neighborhoods of tenements Poorly constructed and

cramped five or six story buildings housing many families.

One room per family. Many had no windows

and were dark and narrow with little airflow.

Work life was tough. Monotonous

Assembly lines Unhealthy and

dangerousToxic airHeavy machinery

Long hours10 to 14 hours per

dayOften 6 day work

weeks

New leisure activities were a bright spot. Leisure – time free

from work. Workers and their

families enjoyed new leisure activities as an escape from daily life.

City parks offered a chance to enjoy nature.

Vaudeville Theater – A mix of songs, skits, comedy routines, and other acts.

The Bicycle

Spectator SportsEspecially Baseball

By the turn of the twentieth century, there were two leagues of professional baseball clubs National League

New York GiantsPhiladelphia PhilliesPittsburgh PiratesCincinatti RedsBrooklyn DodgersBoston BravesSt. Louis CardinalsChicago Cubs

American LeagueNew York YankeesPhiladelphia AthleticsDetroit TigersCleveland IndiansWashington SenatorsBoston Red SoxSt. Louis BrownsChicago White Sox

Baseball’s popularity continued to grow, leading it to be dubbed “The National Pastime”