Review main idea, context clues, inference

“History of Baseball” by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce

1 Games with balls and bats have been around for a long time. About 3,500 years ago, the ancient Egyptians wrote about playing “hit catch” with bats, balls, and bases!

2 In the 1600s, settlers sailed from England to live in America. They brought an English game called rounders with them. They played it with a ball, a bat, and four posts that were like bases.

3 There are stories that George Washington and his soldiers played rounders at Valley Forge. But as years passed, the old English game of rounders turned into the new American game of baseball.

4 The game became so popular that in 1791 the town of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, had to make a rule that people couldn’t play baseball near the town’s meetinghouse. This was to prevent broken windows.

5 After a hard day’s work, people all over the country still relax by getting together for a game. On steamy summer nights in small towns, if you see bright lights somewhere, they are probably lighting up a baseball field.

The Knickerbockers

6 In 1845, the Knickerbockers were a baseball team in New York City. Their name came from early Dutch settlers who lived there. Dutchmen wore pants that came down to just below their knees. These pants were called knickerbockers, or knickers for short. Making Rules

7 At first, different baseball teams followed different rules. The Knickerbockers decided to make some rules for everyone to use.

8 One of the new rules was that a player couldn’t tag out a runner by throwing a ball at him. This was called soaking. It’s a good thing they made this rule. Teams had begun using balls that were harder and faster than the balls they’d been playing with before.

First Official Game

9 In 1846, the Knickerbockers played the first official baseball game in history. It was official because the teams played with an agreed-upon set of rules and recorded the score. Rounders equipment Knickerbockers baseball team in 1859 .

10 By the 1850s, baseball teams were on the lookout for good players from other clubs. They offered them money to come play with their teams. In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first professional team in the United States.

11 Today there are thirty top professional teams. They are organized into groups called leagues. Fifteen teams are in the American League; fifteen are in the National League. Together, they make up Major League Baseball (MLB).

The Season

12 The Major League Baseball season lasts from April until the end of September. Each team plays 162 games, for a total 2,430 MLB games during the season.

13 The longest game ever was in 1984. The Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago White Sox played late into the night, but the game still wasn’t finished. The teams came back to finish the next day. In total, the game lasted eight hours and six minutes.

14 Players get a few months of rest after the season. In February, they report to spring training camps in Arizona and Florida to practice and get back in shape.

15 Fans have waited all winter for the season to begin. Opening day is normally the first week in April. For over 100 years, it’s been a custom that the president of the United States usually throws out the first pitch.

10 By the 1850s, baseball teams were on the lookout for good players from other clubs. They offered them money to come play with their teams. In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first professional team in the United States. 11 Today there are thirty top professional teams. They are organized into groups called leagues. Fifteen teams are in the American League; fifteen are in the National League. Together, they make up Major League Baseball (MLB).

The Season

12 The Major League Baseball season lasts from April until the end of September. Each team plays 162 games, for a total 2,430 MLB games during the season.

13 The longest game ever was in 1984. The Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago White Sox played late into the night, but the game still wasn’t finished. The teams came back to finish the next day. In total, the game lasted eight hours and six minutes.

14 Players get a few months of rest after the season. In February, they report to spring training camps in Arizona and Florida to practice and get back in shape.

15 Fans have waited all winter for the season to begin. Opening day is normally the first week in April. For over 100 years, it’s been a custom that the president of the United States usually throws out the first pitch.

What are the main ideas of paragraphs 7-11?

• The Knickerbockers baseball team got its name from Dutch settlers in New York City. The baseball players wore short pants that came to just below their knees.

• The Knickerbockers baseball team created a common set of rules. Teams began playing official games against one another, which eventually led to Major League Baseball.

• The Knickerbockers baseball team made a rule that the balls it used needed to be harder. Players use the same balls in Major League Baseball today.

• The Knickerbockers baseball team was the first professional team in America. Many groups followed its example, and other teams were started all around the country.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

“History of Baseball” by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce

1 Games with balls and bats have been around for a long time. About 3,500 years ago, the ancient Egyptians wrote about playing “hit catch” with bats, balls, and bases!

2 In the 1600s, settlers sailed from England to live in America. They brought an English game called rounders with them. They played it with a ball, a bat, and four posts that were like bases.

3 There are stories that George Washington and his soldiers played rounders at Valley Forge. But as years passed, the old English game of rounders turned into the new American game of baseball.

4 The game became so popular that in 1791 the town of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, had to make a rule that people couldn’t play baseball near the town’s meetinghouse. This was to prevent broken windows.

5 After a hard day’s work, people all over the country still relax by getting together for a game. On steamy summer nights in small towns, if you see bright lights somewhere, they are probably lighting up a baseball field.

The Knickerbockers

6 In 1845, the Knickerbockers were a baseball team in New York City. Their name came from early Dutch settlers who lived there. Dutchmen wore pants that came down to just below their knees. These pants were called knickerbockers, or knickers for short. Making Rules

7 At first, different baseball teams followed different rules. The Knickerbockers decided to make some rules for everyone to use.

8 One of the new rules was that a player couldn’t tag out a runner by throwing a ball at him. This was called soaking. It’s a good thing they made this rule. Teams had begun using balls that were harder and faster than the balls they’d been playing with before.

First Official Game

9 In 1846, the Knickerbockers played the first official baseball game in history. It was official because the teams played with an agreed-upon set of rules and recorded the score. Rounders equipment Knickerbockers baseball team in 1859 .

10 By the 1850s, baseball teams were on the lookout for good players from other clubs. They offered them money to come play with their teams. In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first professional team in the United States.

11 Today there are thirty top professional teams. They are organized into groups called leagues. Fifteen teams are in the American League; fifteen are in the National League. Together, they make up Major League Baseball (MLB).

The Season

12 The Major League Baseball season lasts from April until the end of September. Each team plays 162 games, for a total 2,430 MLB games during the season.

13 The longest game ever was in 1984. The Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago White Sox played late into the night, but the game still wasn’t finished. The teams came back to finish the next day. In total, the game lasted eight hours and six minutes.

14 Players get a few months of rest after the season. In February, they report to spring training camps in Arizona and Florida to practice and get back in shape.

15 Fans have waited all winter for the season to begin. Opening day is normally the first week in April. For over 100 years, it’s been a custom that the president of the United States usually throws out the first pitch.

10 By the 1850s, baseball teams were on the lookout for good players from other clubs. They offered them money to come play with their teams. In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first professional team in the United States. 11 Today there are thirty top professional teams. They are organized into groups called leagues. Fifteen teams are in the American League; fifteen are in the National League. Together, they make up Major League Baseball (MLB).

The Season

12 The Major League Baseball season lasts from April until the end of September. Each team plays 162 games, for a total 2,430 MLB games during the season.

13 The longest game ever was in 1984. The Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago White Sox played late into the night, but the game still wasn’t finished. The teams came back to finish the next day. In total, the game lasted eight hours and six minutes.

14 Players get a few months of rest after the season. In February, they report to spring training camps in Arizona and Florida to practice and get back in shape.

15 Fans have waited all winter for the season to begin. Opening day is normally the first week in April. For over 100 years, it’s been a custom that the president of the United States usually throws out the first pitch.

What are the main ideas of paragraphs 7-11?

• The Knickerbockers baseball team got its name from Dutch settlers in New York City. The baseball players wore short pants that came to just below their knees.

• The Knickerbockers baseball team created a common set of rules. Teams began playing official games against one another, which eventually led to Major League Baseball.

• The Knickerbockers baseball team made a rule that the balls it used needed to be harder. Players use the same balls in Major League Baseball today.

• The Knickerbockers baseball team was the first professional team in America. Many groups followed its example, and other teams were started all around the country.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

What was the first professional baseball team in the United States?

• The New York Yankees

• The Cincinnati Red Stockings

• The Boston Red Sox

• The Chicago White Sox

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.3

CCSS.RI.4.5

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CCSS.RI.6.3

What is the significance of the Knickerbockers in the history of baseball?

• The Knickerbockers were the first team to use a baseball in their games.

• The Knickerbockers were the first team to play an official baseball game with a set of agreed-upon rules.

• The Knickerbockers were the first team to introduce the concept of a baseball season.

• The Knickerbockers were the first team to play a baseball game that lasted eight hours and six minutes.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

What is the duration of the Major League Baseball season?

• From April until the end of September

• From March until the end of October

• From May until the end of November

• From June until the end of December