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Baseball

The ballpark of the future in Miami

Welcome to the 21st Century Ballpark

The new Marlins Park in Miami isn’t another retro stadium. No, it’s high-tech and arty and a little bit wacky

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Infographic: The Rise and Fall of Scoring in Baseball

From the dead-ball era to the steroids era, the balance between pitchers and hitters has always been in flux

Bugs Bunny pitches in Baseball Bugs.

Baseball on the Screen

In honor of baseball’s Opening Day, here’s a list of baseball-related films that may be new to you

Bob Clevenhagen, known to many as the Michelangelo of the mitt, has been designing baseball gloves since 1983 for the Gold Glove Company.

Baseball’s Glove Man

For 28 years, Bob Clevenhagen has designed the custom gloves of many of baseball’s greatest players

Charles M. Conlon was a proofreader at the New York Telegram when he began shooting pictures as a hobby. Shown here is one of his iconic photographs of Ty Cobb sliding into third base.

Charles Conlon: The Unheralded Baseball Photographer

Stalwarts of early 20th-century sports pages, Conlon’s photos of the national pastime have their second chance at the plate

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A New Look at the Men of Baseball’s Past

Charles Conlon’s classic photographs of baseball players from the early 20th century offer a glimpse into a familiar sport at an otherworldly time

Ty Cobb

The Knife in Ty Cobb’s Back

Did the baseball great really confess to murder on his deathbed?

Smithsonian's autographed Babe Ruth baseball.

How Babe Ruth Changed Baseball

During his storied career, he set dozens of records, altered the fortunes of a number of teams and developed a new style of play for baseball

The issue of juiced baseballs surfaces every couple years during the month of April due to a high rate of home runs hit.

The Physics of Cheating in Baseball

Corked bats and juiced balls have long plagued baseball, but do they really help a player’s game? Four scientists found surprising answers

Players' relationships with bats have inspired any number of myths and tales.

Baseball’s Bat Man

When stars like Derek Jeter ask to customize their baseball bat, Chuck Schupp makes sure they get what they want

The little league baseball team from Monterrey, Mexico became the first team from outside the United States to win the Little League World Series.

The Little League World Series’ Only Perfect Game

In 1957, Mexico’s scrawny players overcame the odds to become the first foreign team to win the Little League World Series

First baseman Frank Chance was known as "the Peerless Leader."

Portraits of Baseball’s Tinker, Evers and Chance

The famed Chicago Cubs infielders were immortalized in verse—as well as through Paul Thompson’s lens

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A Collection of Baseball Firsts

Who hit the first grand slam? Who was the first pinch hitter? Presenting the nine players of Smithsonian’s “They Did It First” All-Star Team

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Yes, Women Once Played Pro Baseball, Says Ex-Pitcher Mamie Johnson

Leifer's "handy" father helped rig the camera that caught the Dodgers' Willie Davis in mid-slide

It’s in the Bag

Sports Illustrated photographer Neil Leifer hit a grand slam when he set out to capture a double play on film

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Tomatoes in the Bullpen

Surprising trivia about America’s beloved baseball fields

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The Sodfather

Major-league teams are turning to third-generation groundskeeper Roger Bossard to give them a winning edge

Louis Castro (bottom row, left) played 42 games as a second baseman for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1902 season. Because his birthplace is questioned by baseball historians, he may or may not have been the first Hispanic player in the Major Leagues.

Debating Louis Castro

Was he the first foreign-born Hispanic in the Major Leagues?

This Honus Wagner baseball card sold for $2.35 million in March.

A Brief History of the Honus Wagner Baseball Card

From cigarette pack insert to multi-million-dollar treasure

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Last Hurrah

Everyone wanted to see the Babe the day they retired his number; photographer Nat Fein saw the story.

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