The longtime fashion tradition has its roots in the 1800s, when players wanted to show off their sexy calves for the ladies.

BASEBALL
You won't see any synthetic bats in Major League Baseball. The technology would change the game, and not necessarily for the better.
Southpaws are most often talked about in baseball and boxing. But which sport (if either) coined the term?
The mule’s name, Mettle, represented spirit, ardor, and stamina. “The way they play, they need all those things,” one Mets fan said.
From a musclebound mollusk with a Cheshire grin to a furry mystery with lore worthy of Tolkien, here are eight of the most unique Minor League baseball mascots.
Ozzie Canseco, the identical twin brother of baseball legend Jose Canseco, had all of the tools—but not nearly enough of the practice.
The two-sport athlete slammed home runs in baseball and rushed for 950 yards in football, but it was an endorsement deal with Nike that made Bo Jackson a household name.
Don't always have time to catch live sports on television? No problem. Some of the most dramatic athletic moments in history are available to stream.
Here’s how left-handed pitchers, batters, and other players sometimes have an edge over their right-handed competitors in baseball.
In July 1979, the struggling Chicago White Sox offered cheap admission to anyone bringing in a disco record to destroy. The promotion would prove to be catastrophic.
The creators of the Phillie Phanatic are threatening to take the mascot from the Phillies and shop him around to other teams, the lawsuit alleges.
After more than 2200 games over 117 years, this iconic baseball rivalry is still making history and breaking records.
For many years, a baseball team's “manager” wore a player’s uniform simply because he was also a player.
In the early morning hours of May 27, 2019, Bill Buckner—the former MLB first baseman for the Dodgers, Cubs, and Red Sox—passed away at the age of 69 after battling Lewy Body Dementia.
A woman paid just $25 for her aunt's piano, and ultimately found more than 110 vintage baseball cards inside. She considered selling the Babe Ruth card for $40,000, but thought better of it.
When the Sultan of Sweet sued the Sultan of Swat, everyone paid attention.
There weren't always athletes on the front of the Wheaties box.
No matter how many times you’ve watched Squints execute his plan to get to first base with Wendy Peffercorn, there’s bound to be something you don’t know about this modern classic, which was released 25 years ago.