“Baseball is the first sport. The Bible says, ‘In the big inning…’”

What’s the oldest sport? Baseball is the first sport because it’s in the Bible, according to a very old joke that’s been cited since at least 1881:
   
“Base ball is old in the world, as proven by the very first line in Genesis: ‘In the big inning,’ etc.”
 
“In the Big Inning” is a baseball pun that is still used.
 
     
Wikipedia: Book of Genesis
The Book of Genesis (from the Latin Vulgate, in turn borrowed or transliterated from Greek γένεσις, meaning “origin”; Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית‎, Bərēšīṯ, “In [the] beginning”) is the first book of the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh) and the Christian Old Testament.
 
29 May 1881, The Sunday Herald (Boston, MA), pg. 2, col. 6:
Base ball is old in the world, as proven by the very first line in Genesis: “In the big inning,” etc.
 
Chronicling America
15 June 1881, The Breckenridge News (Cloverport, KY), pg. 2, col. 1:
The blasphemous Cincinnati Saturday Night is revising the Old Testament in the interest of baseball players. In its version the chapter of Genesis starts off thus: “In the big inning,” etc.
   
Chronicling America
13 January 1888, Alma (MI) Record, “Scintillations,” pg. 6, col. 4:
Base ball is as old as the world, as is proven by the first line in Genesis: “In the big inning,” etc.—Texas Siftings. 
 
Google Books
In the Big Inning
Jon Burnham
Xulon Press, Mar 1, 2008 - Religion - 220 pages
This book is a compilation of true stories that show what God did to bring people from the brink of death, from the agony of bitterness, guilt, and addiction to a refreshing fruitful life.
 
Google Books
In the Big Inning…
Bible Riddles from the Back Pew
By Mike Thaler and Jared D. Lee
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan
2010
Pg. ?:
How do you know God is a baseball fan? Because he starts off the Bible, “In the big inning…”
   
Google Books
DISPENSING TRUTH:
Divine Prescriptions to Restore and Maintain Good Health
By Dr. Ronald E. Girardin
Bloomington, IN: AUthorHouse
2012
Pg. IX:
And then he quickly added, “Oh yeah, dad, I learned that God is a baseball fan!” (...) Their son, without hesitation answered, “In the big inning God created the heavens and the earth.”
 
Google Books
In the Big Inning God Created Baseball
Jim Crosby
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Oct 25, 2015 - 332 pages
How do we know that God loves baseball? Because everywhere you look there are baseball fields and stadiums. Obviously when God made dry ground and separated it from the waters He had in mind the building of baseball diamonds. “In the Big Inning God Created Baseball” matches stories of the stars of baseball with those of Biblical heroes found in scriptures. The book points out how baseball and the Bible compliment each other in many ways.
 
Twitter
Anica Contreras
‏@anicacontreras
My dad says, “In the Bible times, they had baseball because the Bible says, ‘In the big inning…’ “
I’m dying 😂😂😂😂
12:40 PM - 14 Feb 2016