30 Little Known Facts About Major League Baseball

Sanders was an NFL star who won the Super Bowl with both the Cowboys and the 49ers. He also played in the 1992 World Series with the Atlanta Braves​ but lost to Toronto.

In the 1956 World Series, Yankees pitcher Don Larsen threw the first and only perfect game in World Series history. He was later named the Series MVP.

Founded in 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings — now just the Reds — were the first pro team.

Few pitchers can consistently top 100 mph in pro baseball. In 2010, Aroldis Chapman threw a pitch of 105.1 mph. It’s why he’s nicknamed the Cuban Missile.

Just one unlucky player — Ray Chapman — has ever been killed by a pitch. In 1920, he was struck in the head and died 12 hours later.

Pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm hit a home run in his very first at-bat. He played 20 seasons and never hit another.

Baseballs are precisely manufactured. Each ball has exactly 108 stitches to match the standards of the game.

In 1920, the Boston Braves and Brooklyn Robins battled for 26 innings ... and then it got dark. The game was recorded as a tie.

Abbott was born with just his left hand ... but went on to excel in the big leagues. He took the mound for the Yankees in 1993 and threw a no-hitter versus Cleveland.

In 1920, the league banned spitballs, in which pitchers altered balls to gain an advantage on batters. But 17 pitchers were grandfathered into the clause and allowed to keep using spitballs for the duration of their careers.

False. However, Ruth had the exact same number of hits as Hank Aaron. Both legends had 2,147 hits in their storied careers.

Sosa is the only player to hit more than 60 home runs in three seasons. Oddly, he didn’t win the home run title in any of those seasons, each time being bested by players having even more phenomenal years.

To make them easier for pitchers to handle, umpires rub all new balls with mud before games. The mud is traditionally harvested from an area near the Delaware River.

Perry said they’d put a man on the moon before he ever hit a home run. On July 20, 1969, NASA landed a man on the moon ... and less than half an hour later, Perry hit the first — and last — home run of his career.

Starting in 1888, Hoy was the first deaf player in pro baseball history. He was no dummy — he had more than 2,000 hits and stole 596 bases in 15 seasons.

Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson hit a home run and 12 RBIs in the 1960 World Series ... but the Yankees lost the title. Richardson was the first MVP ever from the losing side.

Hubbard was a pro football player who became an umpire later in life, and his suggestions improved umpiring in many ways. He’s the only person ever elected to both the football and baseball Halls of Fame.

It’s not required, but it is recommended — many umpires do wear black underwear during games. That way, if their pants split during a crouch it won’t be totally obvious.

Piersall was 33 when he (finally) hit his 100th homer. He celebrated in style ... by running the bases backward​. It sounds funny, but the dude was seriously weird and possibly disturbed. He even spent time in a mental hospital.

Eddie Gaedel was just 3 feet, 7 inches tall, the shortest man ever to play the game. In 1951, he was sent to the plate (as a stunt) and was walked. A pinch runner replaced him at first.

It’s true. Until the early ‘30s, players were credited with home runs if their hits bounced off the turf and out of the stadium.

Kiner began his career with the Pirates in 1946, and for seven seasons he led the league in home runs. No other player has led in home runs for that many consecutive years.

As players and umpires argued a call, outfielder Edd Roush got tired of the ruckus. He promptly fell asleep in the outfield ... and was ejected when he didn’t wake up for the next pitch.

Winfield’s throw killed a seagull and fans reported him to the police, who arrested and jailed him for animal cruelty. He was released the next day.

After his no-hitter, Ellis claimed he was tripping on LSD during the game. Journalists at the game, however, didn’t believe his story.

Lopez was a switch hitter who hit two home runs, one from each side of the plate, in one game. It was the first time anyone had ever done such a thing on the first day of the season.

At 6 feet, 11 inches, Jon Rauch was tall enough to play center in the NBA. He was drafted in 1999 as a pitcher and played until 2013.

MLB baseballs are hand-stitched by workers in Costa Rica. Each year, a single authorized factory makes more than 2 million of the official balls.

Giants player Red Murray finally ended the agonizingly-long game, and just as he caught the ball he was struck by lightning. As the ​legend goes, he didn’t drop the ball.

A defensive setup by the Phillies allowed Damon to steal second ... and left third completely uncovered. He stole two bases in a single play.