Henry Chadwick (October 5, 1824 – April 20, 1908) was an English American sportswriter, baseball statistician, and historian. He was often called the “Father of Baseball” for his early reporting on and contribution to the development of the game.
Another interesting fact is that Hoboken is the birthplace of baseball, well at least according to the wooden sign hanging in the Reserve Rooms of Amanda’s.
The rules used to play the game today evolved directly from the rules set down by Alexander Cartwright for a game played in 1846 at Elysian Fields in Hoboken.
Required Skills
If you want to try your hand at baseball, see if you have any of the essential skills needed to play the game like a pro right here.
Throwing
Throwing is an essential skill in baseball that requires coordination of the whole body. Each throw needs to be quick and accurate to hinder the opposing team from scoring. Balance, stability, strong arms, and perfect timing is vital in throwing a baseball.
The player needs to efficiently control his body movement and maintain his center of gravity.
Hitting
The main goal of the players who hold the bat is to hit the ball and drive it away, from the fielders. Hitting the baseball hard enough, the fielders will be running after the baseball giving the hitter ample time to run from the plate to the first base.
Confidence, hand-eye coordination, timing, strong arms, and good grip make a good hitter.
Fielding
Fielding requires strong arms as baseball requires a player to catch and throw the baseball all the time. No matter what a fielder’s position is, agility, good rate of motion, mobility, and leaping ability are vital skills needed to perform their tasks.
Catching
The catcher has the most physically and mentally demanding task compared to the other players. A catcher needs to know the game of baseball by heart. Catching is more physically demanding compared to other positions on the field.
The catcher needs strong arms for catching, and to remain focused and the complete knowledge of the game. The skill that is often overlooked in a power game like baseball is base running. Mobility and speed are the crafts that need to be honed for runners.