Baseball and Shakespeare

With the World Series on the horizon, and my New York Mets waiting to see who they will face, whether the Kansas City Royals or the Toronto Blue Jays, I will of course write more about the Mets, but here is something to think about as you wait for the start of the this Baseball Classic.
There is an ongoing debate as to when baseball was invented and who spoke about it first. Well, to solve this dilemma, we thought of checking with our friend William Shakespeare, and found out that he actually had a few interesting references to this game, way before it was invented here in America. Check these quotes:
“And so I shall catch the fly” (from Henry V, Act V, Scene 2)
“I’ll catch it ere it come to the ground” (Macbeth, Act III, Scene 5)
“A hit, a very palpable hit” (Hamlet, Act V, Scene 2)
“You may go walk” (Taming of the Shrew, Act II, Scene 1)
“Strike” (Richard III, Act I, Scene 4)
“For this relief, much thanks” (Hamlet, Act I Scene 1)
“You have scarce time to steal” (Henry VIII, Act III Scene 2)
“O hateful error” (Julius Caesar, Act V Scene 1)
“Run, run, o run” (King Lear, Act V, Scene 3)
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (Macbeth, Act I Scene 1)
“My arm is sore” (Antony and Cleopatra, Act II, Scene 5)
“I have no joy in this contract” (Romeo and Juliet, Act II Scene 2)