Book excerpt: "Take me out to the ballgame, take me out to the crowd!" Baseball is an integral part of American popular culture. In fact, baseball offers a form of social currency by which many people relate. Its stars--King Kelly, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio--have often transcended the game. Discover the amazing development of baseball in The Timeline History of Baseball.- Lavishly illustrated and colorfully designed throughout, The Timeline History of Baseball presents hundreds of fascinating details about the development of baseball in a fun, easy-to-use format.- This unique book brings together a comprehensive history of the sport along with a separate pull-out timeline that offers an at-a-glance view of baseball from 1601 to 2009.- Get some peanuts and Cracker Jacks! You're about to meet some of the greatest players and teams ever to play the game, and venture to some of baseball's hallowed grounds and legendary stadiums.- Did you know that the spit ball was outlawed in 1920, but pitchers who already threw it were permitted to continue using it until they retired? Filled with fun and fascinating facts about the game and all of its organized leagues throughout history, including the major and minor leagues, negro leagues, women's leagues, little league and leagues around the world.- This engaging compendium also includes a giant, colorfully-illustrated gate-fold timeline that offers a unique way of looking at the history of baseball. The timeline integrates world events with major moments in baseball for a unique overview of social history.