Baseball is a famous pastime not only in America but throughout the world. Just like other sporting activities, it has seen its share of interesting occurrences. Here are some baseball fun facts that you probably did not know.
Baseball fans eat enough hotdogs that can stretch from Dodger Stadium to Wrigley Field
Hotdogs are associated with baseball almost as much as a glove and the bat. During MLB games, about 25,500,000 hotdogs and 5,508,900 sausages are sold every years. These hotdogs are enough to stretch from Wringley Field in Chicago, Illinois to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Each MLB ball has 108 stiches
Each baseball has 108 double stiches with the first and last stiches hidden under the leather. Since they are double stiches, some people claim that they are 216 stiches.
Each baseball is hand sawn and can only last six pitches before it is retired. This means 5-6 dozens of baseballs are used in each game
A dwarf has actually played in baseball
Born on 8th June, 1925 in Chicago Illnois, Edward card was an American dwarf famous for participating in MLB games. He was only 3 feet and 7 inches tall and weighed 29.5kgs (65 pounds). His uniform was 1/8.
Edwards’s strike zone measured only 1.5 inches and he reached the base on 4 balls consecutively which were all high. Today Edward’s autograph sells for more than Babe Ruth’s. He passed on 18th June, 1961.
The longest baseball game in history lasted 26 innings
On 1st May, 1920, a game between Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Bravers lasted for 3 hours and 50 minutes which is almost equivalent to three whole games. It consisted of 26 innings.
The oldest ballpark in MLB was built in 1912
Believe it or not, this park is still in existence in Boston. Built in 1912, Fenway Park is home for the Boston Red Sox. Due to its age, it has been renovated and expanded several times and it has hosted the world series 10 times.
However, it is still one of the smallest ballpark with a sitting capacity of 37,949.
Baseball was played during civil war as a morale booster.
Baseball was a famous pastime during civil war when the Americans played it as an emotional escape and morale booster. In fact, the popularity of baseball increased during the war in 1861-1865.