The most important man in the history of baseball was Alexander Cartwright.
Cartwright is universally recognized as the "inventor" of the game of baseball. Technically, though, he actually only organized and developed the game of baseball from an old English game called "rounders". This was a bat and ball game which eventually was imported to and became popular in the early United States. In the States, it became known as townball, then base ball.
Alexander Cartwright, with the help of the Knickerbockers Baseball Club of New York, organized and formalized the rules of the game. An important part of the organization of the rules of the game was the standardization of the baseball playing field. Cartwright layed out the parameters of the field, and it was his dream and passion which ultimately led to the rules, regulations, and the baseball diamond which is now part of the modern game of baseball.
Born in 1820, Alexander Cartwright had organized and standardized the baseball field and most of the rules of the game by around 1845. But, he worked with organizations and institutions throughout his life to promote the adoption of the formal game. He was the driving force which changed the game from loosely organized informal teams playing with local rules, into the organized sport which as early as the 1860's was being hailed as "America's National Pastime".
Originally played by an "all volunteer" group of baseball players, the more organized game began to evolve into a professional endeavor. The widespread popularity of the game of baseball led to some towns and states viewing it as an opportunity to promote their community. To do this, they surmised, it would be beneficial to compensate the players for their dedication and commitment to the local team. It is widely believed that the first team to adopt salaried baseball players was the Cincinnatti Red Stockings in 1869.
Following this, other teams began paying salaries to their players, and to scout and recruit talented players from other areas, even other teams. As the players and the game became more and more a professional entity, they saw the need for even more organization. From this need and opportunity, the first baseball league was created- The National Association of Baseball Players. The National Association eventually evolved into the National League.
