A Capitol History of Baseball Episode 1 - Baseball Begins

Before packed modern stadiums, million-dollar contracts, and lights, baseball was a rough-and-tumble game shaped in city sandlots, Civil War camps, and soot-filled early ballparks. In this episode, we trace the true origins of America’s pastime—debunking the Cooperstown myth and the Cartwright legend to explore how the game actually evolved. We also dive into the wild, unwritten history of early baseball: the gross science behind pre-1920 doctored pitches (spit, lard, and licorice), the rise of the first professional clubs, and the scrappy early years of Major League Baseball in Washington, D.C. From Walter Johnson’s blazing fastball to the legendary Clark Griffith, discover how a franchise once mocked as "first in war, first in peace, and last in the American League" finally found its footing.