Why is baseball called America's Pastime?
Although its popularity is arguably greater in Latin America and Asia now, baseball is still commonly referred to as "America's Pastime." This is partly because game was invented in the United States 180 years ago and was the dominate sport for much of the time since. But baseball is also a game obsessed with its own history, much like America is with hers and we can trace a lot of the story of baseball alongside the story of America. 

While the country was fighting itself to determine the shape of its future during the Civil War, the game of baseball was taking shape and spreading to the south by northern war prisoners. After the war, when mass market commercialism became available, baseball and its products were the primary sport marketed to people across the country. Many of the first American celebrities were in fact baseball players, their faces and names seen by millions of people through the rising circulation of newspapers and distribution of baseball cards.

Even later, baseball was at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement. Jackie Robinson became the first Black player to play Major League Baseball in the modern era. The integration of baseball was an early and important step in the broader Civil Rights Movement. Since then, baseball has been one of the most diverse sports in the world, its demographics closely representing that of the whole country.

In many ways, baseball culture has become synonymous with American culture in general. The season takes place through summer. There are hot dogs, nachos, a lot of sitting around, fireworks, and games on 4th of July.

So even as more countries and cultures find a way to make baseball their own, the sport can always claim its place as America's Pastime.
Porque é que o basebol é chamado de passatempo americano?
Embora sua popularidade seja indiscutivelmente maior na América Latina e na Ásia, o beisebol ainda é comumente referido como "o passatempo da América". Isso é em parte porque o jogo foi inventado nos Estados Unidos há 180 anos e foi o esporte dominante durante grande parte do tempo desde então. Mas o beisebol também é um jogo obcecado com sua própria história, assim como a América está com a dela e podemos rastrear muito da história do beisebol ao lado da história da América. Enquanto o país estava lutando para determinar a forma de seu futuro durante a Guerra Civil, o jogo de beisebol estava tomando forma e se espalhando para o sul por prisioneiros de guerra do norte.