Barnstorming became popular with baseball teams in the infancy of the sport. As a way to make some extra money during the offseason many players would go on tours of the country. They would typically play a local team or even sometimes a minor league team. There are many stories of the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, and Carl Hubbell coming to town to play a local company’s team. In the 1920s and 30s players did not make the exorbitant salaries that players make today, so any way to supplement their income without having to work a real job was certainly welcome to them. It was also a way for the aging stars to keep playing and keep making some money after their major league days were over. As transportation improved the range of tours extended to the point where barnstorming occurred all over the world, introducing the sport to a new audience. Today, few major leaguers feel the need to go on tour but it is still a viable way for many minor leaguers and fringe professionals to make a few extra bucks and to see the world in the offseason.
