English colonists took this game to North America with their other pastimes, and in the early 1800s variants were being played on both sides of the ocean under many appellations. Rounders is referenced in 1744 in the children's book A Little Pretty Pocket-Book where it was called Base-Ball. Just as now, in some versions a batter was called out after three strikes.Īlthough much is unclear, as one would expect of children's games of long ago, this much is known: by the mid-18th century a game had appeared in the south of England which involved striking a pitched ball and then running a circuit of bases. In at least one version of the game, teams pitched to themselves, runners went around the bases in the opposite direction of today's game, much like in the Nordic brännboll, and players could be put out by being hit with the ball. Early forms of baseball had a number of names, including 'base ball', 'goal ball', 'round ball', 'fetch-catch', 'stool ball', and, simply, 'base'. Baseball and the other modern bat, ball, and running games – stoolball, cricket and rounders – were developed from folk games in early Britain, Ireland, and Continental Europe (such as France and Germany). The question of the origins of baseball has been the subject of debate and controversy for more than a century. All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

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