Top 10: Around the Horn

Around the Horn: The infielders practice of throwing the ball to each other after recording an out (providing there are no runners on base). The purpose is as much tradition as anything else, but it serves to keep the infielders arms active. 

"Top 10" will be a new series on Gridiron Girl: Beyond the X's & O's . This weekly series will cover the top 10 facts or topics of the week in regards to Major League Baseball, the National Football League, National Basketball Association, or National Hockey League. The first of this series will cover the MLB and is named Around the Horn. Let's get started!

Top 10 Baseball Facts: Did you know?

1. Baseball is a simple game.
The second statement from the Official Major League Rule Book states: "The object of each team is to win by scoring more runs than the opponent."

2. Eddie Gaedel was the shortest Major League player.
Gaedel was three feet, seven inches tall and his sole appearance in an MLB game was a publicity stunt.

3. A regulation baseball has 108 stitches.

4. In 1965, the minimum annual salary for a baseball player was $6,000.
The minimum annual salary for a baseball player in 2013 is $490,000 and the average salary is $3,213,479.

5. Each baseball game has 12,386,344 possible plays. 
Do you ever wonder who takes the time to figure out facts like this?

6. The first baseball stadium built in the United States was Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, PA. 

7. No one had an RBI in the 1968 All-Star Game.
In the bottom of the first the National League had a runner on third with no outs. Willie McCovey grounded into a double play that scored the runner on third. The game remained 1-0 for the remaining eight innings and since no RBI is awarded on a fielders choice the NL went without an RBI.

8. The National Baseball Hall of Fame was created in 1935 to celebrate baseball's 100th anniversary. 

9. Babe Ruth put a cabbage leaf under his hat during every game.
He would change it for a new one every two innings.

10. The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) became a labor union in 1966.
Marvin Miller, an economist with the United Steel Workers of America, was chosen by the players to be the Association's first executive director.