Was Baseball Invented in Russia?
In truth, the game evolved over many decades, if not centuries, and its roots are, in reality, a tangled web of bat and ball games brought to this country by immigrants. – Frank Ceresi in The Origins of Baseball (Baseball Almanac, 07-2004)
Yes, baseball is the American pastime, but its origins are difficult to trace. Some believe it was based on the English game of cricket, which can be traced back to Tudor times in the early 16th century. Others believe it was based on the English game of rounders, which can also be traced back to Tudor times. But what about the Russian game of lapta? First known to be played in the 14th century, descriptions of the game have been found in medieval manuscripts. Balls and bats were also found in the 14th century layer of excavations of the city of Novgorod, the Russian capital in the 9th and 12th centuries.
