How old is Baseball, really?
 

Saw this on the website "Retronaut":

‘Found in the margins of a calendar in a 14th-century Flemish book of hours. Various historians of sport have identified this as a version of “stool ball” or “stump ball”, which was baseball played with only one base’

- Got Medieval
Via Got Medieval, TYWKIWDBI and The Walters Art Museum

Anyway, thought it was interesting enough to share.

Also, this one:
Group picture, Boston Beaneaters and New York Giants, Major League Baseball Opening Day 1886. Charles Radbourn giving the finger to cameraman (back row, far left). First known photo of somebody flipping somebody else off. Interesting piece of history I guess, lol...

Interesting the pitcher appears to be a southpaw.

very cool immage there!

Edit: I figured it out.

Baseball is referred to in the Old Testament at the start of the book of Genesis. "In the Big Inning"....

nice....

Finally!! It's starting to make sense to me.:)

Jessie Orosco?
Jamie Moyer?

If you have an interest in the beginnings of baseball, read David Block's "Baseball Before we Knew it". As far as I can tell, no one's done a better job of exploring that facet of baseball.

Just noticed - the cover is that first picture you posted.

Oh he was definitely a righty, but after averaging over 500 innings pitched/year up to that point, I'm guessing he had to use his left hand for just about everything else.

The Author has a website also with the same title as the book:http://baseballbeforeweknewit.com/

I think he was a regular member of an earlier version of this board - I know I contacted him through the board in 2005, and ordered a signed copy of the book (just started re-reading it).