7. Some consider Madison Square to be the birthplace of baseball
Many debate the origins of baseball, some claiming the sport began in Cooperstown, others Hoboken. But some attribute the beginnings of the sport to Madison Square Park in 1845. A 25-year-old law clerk named Alexander Cartwright formed the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club, drawing from other sports for the rules. Some of these rules still are in effect, including a nine-inning game and pitching mechanics.
Cartwright and his teammates would practice baseball in Madison Square Park at Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street before moving to the Murray Hill Grounds at 34th Street and Park Avenue. By the time of the move, these rules were spread nationwide, thus many make the claim that the Flatiron District was the true birthplace of the American pastime.