Channel Crafts 12" Wooden Ruler made in U.S.A. of American-grown basswood. More than any other sport, baseball has a special meaning to Americans, as well as a fascinating and tumultuous history. While baseball is played in other parts of the world, most notably the Caribbean and Japan, we have limited our list to players, owners and managers from teams of the various leagues in the United States. It’s fun to read the colorful nicknames given to some of the players, such as “Shoeless Joe” Jackson, “Joltin’ Joe” DiMaggio and “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron. The order of names is not by birth date but rather by the years in which these players and managers flourished in the leagues. The “head” is none other than Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier by becoming the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball when he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.