Baseball was not invented by a single person but rather evolved over time. It likely originated in the early 1800s as a mixture of various stick-and-ball games that had been played for centuries, including influences from English games like cricket and rounders. The first formal effort to codify baseball rules was made by the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York. In 1845, they established the Knickerbocker Rules, which set parameters such as foul lines, base paths, and the “three outs” rule. The first official game played under these rules was in June 1846 between the Knickerbockers and the New York Nines. The popular story that Civil War hero Abner Doubleday invented baseball in 1839 in Cooperstown, New York, has been debunked and is considered a myth. Instead, the modern game of baseball emerged from gradual developments and adaptations by groups like the Knickerbocker Club over the 19th century.
