Final answer:
Baseball was America's first professional team sport, with baseball teams like the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1869 fostering community and diversity. Moses Fleetwood Walker and Jackie Robinson were pivotal in breaking baseball's color barrier. By the 1920s, baseball had become ingrained as America's Pastime, reflecting the nation's diverse culture.
Step-by-step explanation:
Baseball is often referred to as America's first professional team sport, with the Cincinnati Red Stockings becoming the first salaried team in 1869. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, baseball played a significant role in American society, providing affordable entertainment and a platform for diverse communities to come together. This is highlighted by Babe Ruth's iconic status as a symbol of American culture and the sport's reflection of societal issues such as segregation and the struggle for racial equality. Notably, Moses Fleetwood Walker broke the color barrier as the first African American to play Major League Baseball in 1884, predating Jackie Robinson's historic debut in 1947. During the 1920s, baseball solidified its place as America's Pastime, mirroring the nation's diversity and serving as a unifying force across different ethnicities and social strata.