The history of baseball in the United States can be traced to the 19th century, when amateurs played a baseball-like game by their own informal rules using homemade equipment. The popularity of the sport inspired the semi-pro national baseball clubs in the 1860s. In a matter of years, Baseball became the first professional sport. In 1850 the National Association of Baseball Players (NABBP) was born, the National League was alive and kicking in 1876. Americans tried immediately to make it a World Game. In 1878 a professional player named Esteban Bellan introduced the game in Cuba (that exported Baseball in the whole Caribbean) and in 1870 bats and balls arrived in Japan (from there quickly reached Korea and Taiwan) thanks to Horace Wilson. Games were organized in Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific in 1888 and 1889. In February 1889 a tour organized by Albert Spalding took the game to Italy. A championship was played in England in the late 18th century. The game really became international in the 20th century. By 1903 in the USA the American League began challenging the National League in the World Series. Organized Baseball Leagues started spreading all over the World: 1922 in The Netherlands, 1934 in Australia, 1936 in Japan, 1938 in Puerto Rico, 1945 in Venezuela and Mexico, 1948 in Italy, Babe Ruth in 1920. The sport of baseball has been introduced everywhere and it has also been around. The little league world sereies is a thing within baseball that kids compete it is like the major league world series but instead it is for kids. There is also something called the minor leagues that you need to go through to actually get to Major League Baseball. You have to do good in high school and college football to do good for the major leagues. It takes a lot of skill, hardwork, and you have to be able to compete in the competitions and tournaments.