Need a few more baseball facts in your life? Well then we've got good news for you.

We've got a whole host of incredible baseball facts that will have you cheering in the stands. Whether you're looking to impress someone on a sports-themed date (a gift wouldn't hurt either) or you simply want to amuse yourself, this is the ideal list for sports fans.

Baseball facts

1. A simple trade stopped the Red Sox from winning for 86 years

We're kicking things off with one of the creepiest baseball facts… Are you a fan of spooky sports curses? Then you might've heard of this one, certainly one of the most famous of the genre. In 1919, the Red Sox traded the much-loved Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. Fans were not happy. And it seems like supernatural forces weren't either.

Legend has it that the Curse of the Bambino took hold, dooming the Sox to never win another World Series again. It's not like they never managed it. But it took 86 years for the curse to be broken, with a 2004 win, their lasting having being in 1918. Now that's a stretch and a half, whether or not you believe in curses.

2. Saliva, Vaseline and mud used to make throwing easier

Ever heard of a spitball? The grossest of all baseball facts was the former tradition where pitchers used to use mud, vaseline and even their own spit rubbed onto balls to make it easier to throw 'em. It started to be restricted in 1919, when only two players per team could spitball. Then in 1920, only 17 legacy spitballers could keep up their spitballing ways until they retired. The last one, Burleigh Grimes, retired in 1934.

3. Iron Man Cal Ripken Jr played 2,632 games in a row

An impressive record-holder in the world of Major League Baseball, Cal Ripken Jr wasn't known for missing a game. In fact, between 1982 and 1998, he picked up the record for most consecutive games in MLB history. The number? 2,632 games in a row. No wonder he was known as Iron Man.

4. You won't ever see a 42 in baseball

Ever seen a 42 on the pitch? Unless you're watching pre-1997 games, it's not so likely. This is the only number to have ever been retired from the leagues. That's because it used to be worn by Jackie Robinson, the first Black player to take part in the major leagues. So as a tribute to him, that number will always just be his. In fact, he's the only player in any major sport to be honored in that way.

5. Weird mascots are always on the sidelines

One of our favorite baseball facts is that practically every major league team has a whacky mascot. For example, the Milwaukee Brewers hold a race where several people in sausages suits race at the sixth inning in every single home game. And the San Diego Padres have the Swinging Friar, a dude dressed up as a monk who runs around with a baseball bat.

6. Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings hold the record for the longest game

Lasting for 33 innings and spanning eight hours and 25 minutes, this mammoth game started on 18 April 1981. It continued on 19 April, but when it still wasn't done, the Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings took it up again on 23 June. We wonder if the fans were still cheering after that one? Now that is one of the most exhausting baseball facts around…

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