July 20, 1858 – The very first charged admission to see a baseball game occurred for a New York All-Star team against a Star-studded lineup of Brooklyn ball players. The National Association of Base Ball Players was organized earlier in this year in recognition of the potential profits that baseball could provide.
The first admission fee of half of a dollar was charged that year for the All-Star game between the Brooklyn and New York clubs. You see until that point in time baseball players joined a dues-paying club in order to rent the fields to play their games on.
Typically these were amateur teams in name, but almost always featured a few players who were covertly paid. That $0.50 admission was not a small fee. Many unskilled workers at that time would only make $2-3 per week in earnings.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
Sports History On This Day: April 3
April 3, 1962 – Legendary jockey Eddie Arcaro at the ripe old age of 46 years old,
Sports History On This Day: April 2
April 2, 1931 – This story is one of those juicy tidbits from history. A
Super Bowl XXXIII (Broncos vs. Falcons): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XXXIII, which was held on January 31, 1999, at
Sports History On This Day: April 1
April 1, 1919 – This is not an April Fools Day prank! I think after the past
Sports History On This Day: March 31
March 31, 1909 – The National Baseball Commission adopted a new rule regarding ineligible players.
Sports History On This Day: March 30
March 30, 1947 – Babe Didrikson Zaharias wins her first of three Titleholders titles as
Tie Domi vs. Joe Fan: A Wild Night People Talk About Over 20 Years Later
Spring is a time when a man’s fancy turns to something. Maybe sometimes, a
Sports History On This Day: March 29
March 29, 1989 – It was a historic moment in sports when the first athletes