At the end of the 1998 season, after the most explosive home run race in the history of major league baseball, Mark McGwire emerged as the all-time single season leader with 70 home runs. The previous record of 61, held for 37 years by Roger Maris, was also surpassed by Sammy Sosa who finished the 1998 season with 66 home runs. McGwire's record wouldn't last long however. Just three years later, Barry Bonds finished the 2001 season with 73 homers.

In 1982, Rickey Henderson broke Lou Brock's major league single season record by stealing 130 bases, a total which has not been approached since. NOTE: In 1887, Chicago White Stockings outfielder Hugh Nicol was credited with 138 stolen bases, but prior to 1898 a stolen base was credited to a baserunner who reached an extra base on a hit from another player.

The first recorded game of "Bass-Ball" took place in 1749 in Surrey, and featured the Prince of Wales as a player.

In 1869, the first fully professional baseball club, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, was formed and went undefeated against a schedule of semipro and amateur teams.

In 2007, Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins set a Major League record with 716 at bats, eclipsing the previous mark of 705 set by Willie Wilson in 1980.

1930 was a peak offensive year, with the entire National League batting .303.

In 1884, the National League legalized overhand pitching.

Nicknamed "Pud" because he made hitters "look like pudding", Galvin was MLB's first 300-game winner and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1965.

Joe DiMaggio's most famous achievement is his MLB record-breaking 56-game hitting streak in 1941.

One of the most dominating pitchers of the 19th century, Tim Keefe put the league on notice in 1880 (his rookie season), posting an astounding 0.86 ERA in 105 innings pitched, a record that still stands today.