Chapter 53-History of Baseball & Softball-棒球和垒球的历史Baseball, 棒球运动的历史悠久,在人类文明的早期,就有以棒击球的游戏。现代棒球运动起源于美国,世界上第一次棒球比赛是1839年在美国纽约州举行的,1845Softball, 垒球运动是由棒球运动演变而来,其比赛方法、运动员职责等与棒球基本相同,只是球场、球、棒和投手投球技术等方面略有不同。年由亚历山大•卡特赖特(Alexander Cartwright)制定了第一部竞赛规则,规定了至今仍沿用的场地形状和尺寸。卡特赖特也因此被后人称为“棒球之父”。此后棒球日益发展为世界性的体育项目之一。Baseball is a game played with a hard ball and a bat between two teams of nine players each. Baseball has become the national pastime of the United States, vying in popularity with basketball and American football. It is played throughout the world by people of all ages. Baseball is one of the oldest and most popular spectator sports. The game as it is known today developed during the early 1800s among children and amateur players. Today, professional baseball attracts