Rounders and American Baseball
Rounders, originally a British game, has existed since the 16th Century. However, what irks some Americans is that Baseball, which is considered completely American in style and content, is actually known to originate in Great Britain.
The British chose to cite “Northanger Abbey,” a novel by the the inimitable Jane Austen where there is a graphic account of Baseball, as documentary proof of the origins of Baseball. It is well known that “Baseball” was referred to by Britishers as “Rounders.”
Mr. Henry Chadwick, a Briton who migrated to America when he was very young, liked Baseball and became a newspaper sports reporter mostly reporting Baseball matches. He noticed that “Rounders,” which he used to play during his early childhood in England, was too similar to Baseball. He remembered its rules and finer points and nuances vividly and was convinced the game was the same as Rounders, which was being played in America under the name of “Baseball”.
We all know that Basket Ball was invented by a Canadian National working for YMCA in Massachusetts. However, Baseball was not invented by anyone. It is most likely that the game gradually developed over the years into the money-spinner that it is today.
There are differences between British and American Baseball Rules. In the British Version you can smell the scent of Cricket, the most famous gentleman’s game invented by the British. If a striker reaches a base, for each such base he reaches, a run is scored. What we in America call a “Home Run”, is, in fact, equivalent to four runs in British Baseball. Just like Cricket, each competing team is made up of 11 players.
In other words, in order to complete an Innings, you have to get all the 11 Players out! The game comes to an end when both competing teams complete two Innings each. There are people who think that Baseball was invented by Abner Doubleday, and still others think it was Alexander Cartwright.
There is absolutely no clear-cut evidence supporting these claims. The fact remains that Baseball developed gradually over the years from Rounders.