Working toward a transition from sales to finance, Joseph “Joe” Vessecchia is a student in the master of business administration program of the Sion Business School at the University of Rochester. When away from his studies, Joseph Vessecchia is an avid fan of baseball.
Baseball remains among the most popular spectator sports in America, and was named America’s National Pastime on November 5, 1856, in The New York Mercury. Here are a few other little-known facts about baseball.
1. The first professional baseball teams, composed of twelve franchises, were created in 1869. The Cincinnati Red Stockings became the number one team in that inaugural season after posting a win-loss record of 19-0. However, the Brooklyn Atlantics emerged the champions despite having just a 15-6 record in the regular season.
2. The shortest Major League Baseball game lasted for only 51 minutes, which was played between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Phillies on September 28, 1919. On the other hand, the longest MLB game lasted for eight hours and six minutes. The Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago White Sox started the game on May 8, 1984. The score was tied at 3-3 after 17 innings. The play continued on the next day, and the game was declared a tie after 25 innings.
3. In the 1920s, the New York Yankees were the first professional baseball team to wear jerseys with numbers on the back. The player’s number indicated their batting order. This is how Babe Ruth, who was always designated as the third batter, came to wear number 3.
Joseph Vessecchia 