By the start of the 1870s, the game of "base ball" had been building momentum for a couple of decades as the new national pastime. From the first game to be reported in a newspaper in 1853 to the first all-star game in 1858 to the first fully professional baseball team in 1869, minor and major milestones ultimately led to the formation of the first professional baseball league. In Opening Pitch: Professional Baseball's Inaugural Season, 1871, Warren N. Wilbert chronicles the events leading up to the sport's official first season. Highlighting key players both on and off the field, Wilbert provides a fascinating history of the sport's highs and lows, culminating in the historic season when it officially evolved from amateur athletics to the professional sport embraced by all of America. Opening Pitch provides a close look at the teams that participated in league play, including the New York Knickerbockers, Cincinnati Red Stockings, Chicago White Stockings, Troy Haymakers, New York Mutuals, Fort Wayne Kekiongas, Cleveland Forest Citys, Washington Olympics, and the Philadelphia Athletics. Wilbert also pays tribute to the sport's early stars who made the first season memorable, such as Dave Eggler, Bob Ferguson, Cal McVey, Levi Meyerle, Joe Start, Ezra Sutton, Fred Treacey, James "Deacon" White, George Zettlein, and future Hall of Famers Adrian "Cap" Anson, George Wright, Harry Wright, and Al Spalding. Several appendixes include individual stats for all of the key players, as well as the season record for all the teams who participated in league play. Opening Pitch offers a fascinating glimpse into this historic era of professional sports for baseball enthusiasts as well as those interested in athletics in America. Book jacket.