July 30, 1874 – The very first baseball teams to play outside of the US borders occurred. The Boston Red Stocking and the Philadelphia Athletics, whom the English papers also called the Blue Stockings, played at the Liverpool Cricket Grounds or Edghill as part of an envoy to introduce the game to British citizens.
The London Guardian reported the next day that the ball players were “disheartened” by the poor turnout of Brits to watch the game. They would try again on July 31 at the venue of the Manchester Cricket Club, but the fear of being snubbed by English spectators was on their minds, as the Brits felt the game far inferior to their game of cricket.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network

Top 5 NFL Teams of the 2010s
We hope this doesn’t spoil any surprises, but the 2017 Cleveland Browns will not be featured on

Debunking Commonly Believed Sports Betting Myths
Like casino gambling and slot games, sports betting has largely become an online business.

Dissecting Super Bowl VII: Miami’s Almost Perfect Super Bowl
On January 14, 1973, the Miami Dolphins completed a seemingly impossible dream by defeating

Debating the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Who Truly Deserves Induction?
I belong to several old-school football groups on Facebook, and one of the biggest topics of

The Silent Scorekeepers: How Statisticians Became the Backbone of Sports
Could you imagine a baseball game where no one counts strikeouts? Picture watching a

Stefan Botev: The Unforgettable Story of a Weightlifting Phenomenon
One of my favorite weightlifters to watch was Stefan Botev. Botev was born on

History of NBA Team Nicknames: Pacific Division
I love the history of sports team nicknames. Today I am sharing some of

Why is Ralph Hay Considered the Founder of the NFL?
In this episode, we fire up the DeLorean and head back to explore the