There has been lots of speculation about the origins of Baseball. Claims of invention in the USA, especially by Abner Doubleday in Cooperstown, seem fiction. Most likely baseball developed in the 17th/18th century in the USA based on European influences: mainly English 'stoolball' and 'cricket'. In the 2nd half of the 19th century baseball grew into a professional sport in the USA, which ultimately formed the American and National Leagues, who still form Major League Baseball today. Besides the USA (in which it's more than sport, it's called the 'national pastime'), the team sport is also very popular in the Americas and East Asia. The International Baseball Federation was founded in 1938.
