About Major League Baseball
There are two professional baseball leagues in North America controlled by Major League Baseball (MLB): the American League and the National League. Each league contains fifteen teams and is divided into 3 divisions: East, Central and West. The following are the teams from each League and the stadiums in which they play:
American League
East
Baltimore Orioles - Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Boston Red Sox - Fenway Park
New York Yankees - Yankee Stadium
Tampa Bay Rays - Tropicana Field
Toronto Blue Jays - Rogers Centre
Central
Chicago White Sox - U.S. Cellular Field
Cleveland Indians - Progressive Field
Detroit Tigers - Comerica Park
Kansas City Royals - Kauffman Stadium
Minnesota Twins - Target Field
West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Oakland Athletics - Oakland-Alameda County Stadium
Seattle Mariners - Safeco Field
Texas Rangers - Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Houston Astros - Minute Maid Park
Baseball History
Baseball was first played in 1845 in New York. A man by the name of Alexander Joy Cartwright Jr. came up with the idea for baseball. One day he showed a group of young men playing a ball game a diagram he had for a new type of game. His idea was to have four bases on the playing field arranged in a diamond shape each being 90 feet apart from the next base. He assigned three outfielders and a player at each base. He also put an extra player in between second and third base because the ball was often hit in that area. He called the position shortstop. Also there could only be nine players on the field for each team and they had to have a batting order predetermined before the game. He proposed a rule "three hands out, all out". These rules are similar to today's rules but there were some differences. Back then the pitcher had to underhand the ball to the batter, players did not wear gloves and you could get a runner out by pegging him. Those rules have been modified over the years but a lot of the original rules are still used today.
National League
East
Atlanta Braves - Turner Field
Miami Marlins - Marlins Park
New York Mets - Citi Field
Philadelphia Philies - Citizens Bank Park
Washington Nationals - Nationals Park
Central
Chicago Cubs - Wrigley Field
Cincinnati Reds - Great American Ball Park
Milwaukee Brewers - Miller Park
Pittsburgh Pirates - PNC Park
St. Louis Cardinals - Busch Stadium III
West
Arizona Diamondbacks - Chase Field
Colorado Rockies - Coors Field
Los Angeles Dodgers - Dodgers Stadium
San Diego Padres - PETCO Park
San Francisco Giants - AT & T Park
Please Note: The information and resources provided below are for informational purposes only and do not constitute a recommendation by our organization. We have made our best effort to be as inclusive as possible.
"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do"
- Pele
for the love of baseball
Information
A League of Their Own - 1992 - PG
Slow Moe - 2010 - NR
A Kid in King Arthur's Court - 1995 - PG
A Mile in His Shoes - 2011 - PG
Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch - 2008 -G
42 - 2013 - PG-13
For the Love of the Game - 2000 - PG-13
Home Run Showdown - 2011 - NR
The Natural - 1984 - PG
The Rookie - 2002 -G
Spring training for these teams takes place in February and March. Each team then plays 162 games during the regular season which goes from late March/early April through early October. The post season begins in October and consists of the Division Series (best of 5), the League Championship Series (best of 7) and the World Series (best of 7).
The following books provide useful information about the game of baseball:
The Everything Kids' Baseball Book - Greg Jacobs
Baseball Field Guide - Dan Formosa and Paul Hamburger
The Best of Everything Baseball Book - Nate LeBoutillier
Baseball (DK Eyewitness Books) - James E. Kelley
Scholastic Ultimate Guide to Baseball - James Buckley Jr.
Take Me Out to the Ballpark - Josh Leventhal
Sports Illustrated The Baseball Book - Editors of Sports Illustrated
Entertainment
Baseball Books (Author, Titile(s), Suggested Grade Level)
David Kelly - (Ballpark Mysteries) The Fenway Foul-Up, The Pinstripe Ghost, The L.A. Dodger, The Astro Outlaw, The All-Star Joker, The Wrigley
Riddle, The San Francico Splash, The Missing Marlin - (Grades 1-4)
Mike Lupica - The Big Field, Safe at Home, Heat, The Bat Boy, Heavy Hitters - (Grades 3-7)
Tim Green - Rivals, Best of the Best, Baseball Great, Pinch Hit, Force Out, New Kid - (Grades 3-7)
Matt Christopher - The Kid Who Only Hit Homers, Miracle at the Plate, Catcher with a Glass Arm, Return of the Home Run Kid, Baseball
Turnaround, The Fox Steals Home, Baseball Fly Hawk, Challenge at Second Base, Little Lefty, Power Pitcher, The Lucky Baseball Bat, Baseball
World Series, Perfect Game, Play Ball, District Double Header, State Showdown - (Grades 3 -7)
Cal Ripken Jr. - Hothead, Super Slugger, Super Sized Slugger, Wild Pitch, Squeeze Play - (Grades 3-7)
John Ritter - The Boy Who Saved Baseball, Over the Wall, Fenway Fever, Choosing Up Sides, The Desperado Who Stole Baseball - (Grades 5-9)
The following books contain some mature content. Books should only be read with parent permission.
Carl Deuker - Heart of a Champion, High Heat, Painting the Black
Steve Kluger - The Last Days of Summer
Dirk Hayhurst - Bullpen Gospels, Out of My League, Bigger than the Game
Jordan Sonnonblick - Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip
Alan Gratz - Samurai Baseball
Ron Koertge - Shakespeare Bats Ceanup, Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs
W.P. Kinsella - Shoeless Joe
Michael Lewis - Moneyball
John Feinstein - Where Nobody Knows Your Name
Baseball Movies (Title, Year Made, Rating)
Note that some older movies with a PG rating may contain inappropriate language or content.
The Perfect Game - 2009 - PG
Everyone's Hero - 2006 - G
Little Big League - 1994 - PG
The Bad News Bears - 2005 - PG
Rookie of the Year - 1993 - PG
Angels in the Outfield - 1994 - PG
The Final Season - 2007 - PG
Field of Dreams - 1989 - PG
Moneyball - 2012 - PG-13
Fever Pitch - 2013 - PG-13
The Sandlot - 1993, Sandlot 2 - 2005, The Sandlot: Heading Home 2007 - PG