The Top 5 Amazing Facts About Baseball
The 2024 regular season of Major League Baseball began March 20 with a historic first. There will be a two-game series between the Dodgers and Padres in Seoul, South Korea! The reigning World Series Champs Texas Rangers were the 2023 World Series champions! After splitting the first two games at home, Texas went to Phoenix and defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks three straight games to claim the first title in franchise history.
While baseball fans around the world like yourself, wait for America's favorite pastime to begin, here are some fun facts. How well do you think you know baseball history? Test your knowledge, and see if you are familiar with any of these Top 5 Amazing Facts About Baseball.
1. Believe it or not, in 1944, three Major League teams a pro baseball game at the same time! This three-way tournament included the Yankees, Dodgers, and Giants, who played to raise money for World War Two. It was a fierce battle, but the Dodgers ultimately won.
2. Only FIVE teams in MLB history won every time they played in the World Series: the Toronto Blue Jays, Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, and Arizona Diamondbacks.
The FIVE teams that LOST every time they played in the World Series: The Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, and Tampa Bay Rays.
The Seattle Mariners are the only active MLB team that's never made it to the World Series. However, after a great 2022 season, some sports analysts think they got a real shot this year. Various sites predict the Mariners COULD make a run for the 2023 World Series. Ranking the team 11th to ninth-best among the 30 MLB teams. What do you think?
3. Do you know that the official Major League Baseball rules DO NOT have a rule that all players wear a team hat? The only rule for headgear is that players must have a helmet when batting or running the bases.
4. Shockingly enough, MLB rules of play from 1876 to 1887 gave players at-bat the right to request where the pitcher threw the pitches, as in high, low, or middle. The umpire would then adjust the strike zone to the request.
5. The team with the best MLB winnings percentage is the New York Yankees. Since 1903, they've won 57% of their games. The Miami Marlins, founded in 1993, is in last place at 46%.
Well, how did you do? Did you miss any of these fun facts or get them all correct? Not that it matters, of course. It's all in fun! In honor of the 2024 MLB season enjoy these incredible moments in America's favorite pastime.