Bentonville baseball team, circa 1912. The team was part of a regional African-American league ranging from Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Joplin, Missouri. Back, from left: Thad Wayne, Marion “Sonny” Finney, and Lloyd Trout. Front, from left: Yates Claypool, Virge Black, and John Barker.

Ball games have been around for a long time, but baseball stemmed from a game played in New York in the 1840s. At the turn of the 20th century, team sports were considered a good way for immigrants to assimilate into mainstream culture.