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ohverygood t1_j9zxxts wrote

Reply to comment by Turnip45 in ELI5: How did association football become the most popular sport in the world, more popular than any other sport that was spread around the world? by astarisaslave

There was a time when baseball would be played by any number of kids, with whatever kind of stick and ball, in whatever alley or field was nearby. You never see that nowadays in the U.S., although you will see kicking a soccer ball in similar conditions.

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mynewaccount4567 t1_ja0ulu2 wrote

I think baseball is pretty close to soccer and there is a reason it spread pretty well to other countries. I think the biggest hurdles are numbers. To play an actual game you need at least a handful of people. And without close to a full field , it becomes a lot less fun since defense gets too hard. Football can be played 1v1 all the way up to a full squad. Second while baseball in an ally is fine for younger kids, by the time you reach teenagers, broken windows and hitting it outside the area are a much bigger concern. Though usually there is an open lot available.

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