Sunday baseball games were not usually played until the early 20th century. At first, it was frowned upon due to blue laws, but then cities like Chicago, St. Louis, and Cincinnati decided to legalize them. Other cities such as New York City and Philadelphia had intense political and court battles to legalize the games. Nowadays, it is normal for baseball to be played on Sundays in the United States, though this practice continues to be opposed by churches upholding first-day Sabbatarian doctrine.