Section I

By 1901, English immigrant Harry M. Stevens had persuaded managers at New York’s Polo Grounds to permit his army of vendors to work the grandstands, selling a steamed sausage that would later be named the hot dog. (p. 138, Baseball as America)

Singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh-inning stretch is a surprisingly recent addition to stadium ritual. Not until 1976, when announcer Harry Caray began leading White Sox fans in a rousing version of the tune, did the practice catch on at other ballparks. (p. 121, Baseball as America)