How Does Baseball Affect Society

One summer’s day in 2014, I borrowed my neighbor’s lawn mower and met my teammates at the batting cage. I began mowing down the weeds, while they raked. Others restretched the netting back across the top of the cage. By the time the afternoon came we had a batting cage and a real sense of pride. From that day forward, we began practicing every day, year round. We talked baseball, walked baseball, lived and breathed the stuff. We shared our equipment and made do with what we had. We turned ourselves from a rag-tag bunch of misfits into a

Many people don't understand the point in playing baseball. Why would someone swing a stick, hit a ball, and try to get back to where they started before the ball returns? What pleasure is there in that? Why not participate in a sport like wrestling or track where there is an obvious level of individual improvement and therefore pleasure. Well, I play baseball because of the love I have for the sport, and because of the feeling that overwhelms me every time I walk onto a baseball field. When I walk onto a field I am given the desire to better myself not only as an athlete, but also as a person. The thoughts and feelings I get drive me to work hard towards my goals and to be a better person. The most relevant

Like the bald eagle, baseball has become an icon for the term “American”. It was the nation’s first major sport and quickly was coined America’s pastime. It was created from a combination of other games during the 1840’s and became increasingly popular during the years of the Civil War (Brinkley 392). In their

The game of baseball was invented by Abner Doubleday, in 1839- 177 years ago from today. Baseball has been, and is still today, known as America’s favorite pastime; additionally, due to its extensive history and partaking it monumental events, it can as well serve as a great topic to use in a story or poem. Poet Dale Ritterbusch, uses the game of baseball along with metaphors in his poem as a vehicle to write about a more substantial subject in poetry, the Vietnam War. His poem, “Behind the Plate”, can be simply over-looked to one as just a poem about an overweight catcher; nonetheless, when closely examined, it has a deeper meaning. Authors Michael Cocchiarale and Scott Emmert, both agree with the statement that baseball is a great outlet for further analysis of a more important subject: “Writers have seen sports, particularly baseball, as a useful vehicle for cultural and epistemological analysis” (Cocchiarale).

Every father loves getting to share his child’s first experience with baseball and playing catch with him for their first time. The history behind the game has such a humbling expression towards the game of baseball, which was first known as “rounder” earlier in the 1840’s in England until it was brought over in the US. In 1871 the Major League was born and by the 20th century most large cities in the US had professional baseball teams. The teams where divided into two leagues, American and National. During the season those teams would only play the teams in their leagues. Teams that succeeded the best during their season win what are called the “pennant” and those teams would meet in what is still to this day called the “World Series”. Baseball became of age in the early 1920’s; When Babe Ruth became a phenomenon at the game of baseball. Many wanted to fallow his footstep and become a great hero; such as the great Jackie Robinson did who was the first African American to play major league baseball. Prior to

Merrian Webster’s definition of baseball is, “a ball game played between two teams of nine on a field with a diamond-shaped circuit of four bases.” In reality baseball is so much more than that. The movies Bull Durham, The Natural, and Field of Dreams exemplify the metaphysical meaning of sport. Baseball is a metaphor for the American way of life; it unites people. It can even bring back the dead. The lessons learned in baseball illuminate the core tenants of American society. The metaphysical meaning of baseball represents Americas pulse and has the ability to even bring back the dead.

In 1839 Americas soon to be favorite past time was invented right here in New York, Baseball. Baseball whether you like the game or not, has weaved itself deeply into our culture and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. There are countless movies, articles, songs, playing cards, bobble heads, merchandise and books all made about baseball. The players are often idolized by children and adults alike. Baseball in our country was and still is a huge topic of discussion, whose batting average is higher, which team is better, is someone cheating. Troy Maxson like many American’s knows a lot about baseball like how striking out is bad and homeruns are how you win but there are things about baseball that Troy doesn’t know. The article, Walking Around the Fences: Troy Maxson and the Ideology of “Going Down Swinging”, written by David Letzler. Letzler Delves into the ideology of batting and walks in baseball in explanation of the main character Troy Maxson of August Willison’s play Fences, and his thought process of going down swinging and Troy’s thoughts on some of the major league players of that time.

Baseball has always been something that I have loved. Whenever I get the opportunity to be around baseball I am. I enjoy every aspect of the game, the pastime and now. That is why I chose the piece of art I did for this paper. For my piece of artwork, I didn’t choose a piece of art that was extremely famous by any means. I actually chose a piece of art that most people probably don’t even know exists. The piece of art I chose was Ebbets Field Giclee on Canvas by a man named Al Sorenson. Neither the painting or the artist are known very well, but this work of art actual made me feel something when I looked at it that provided me with the urge to write my paper about it. Some people may not enjoy it, but the sole fact that

Baseball has always been known as America's pastime. But America's pastime, along with America's past, have both been saturated with the brutal force of racism. For hundreds of years, from the time of slavery until the middle of the 20th century, African-American children rounded up their friends and headed to the baseball diamond. There, for thousands of young black players, the smell of the grass, the cloud of dust that formed when running the ninety feet between bases, and the feeling of safely sliding into homeplate for a run marked the glimmer of fun and excitement in an otherwise dreary day. However, due to the color of their skin, black children were not awarded these

In today’s society, there are many ways in which people communicate within their individual community. One community in which many people do not fully understand is the game of baseball. Baseball is one of the most popular sports in the U.S. and has been deemed America’s pastime. For me, sports are my life, especially when it comes to this particular game. I started playing baseball around the age of 4 and continue to play here at the university for the UC Club Baseball Team.

The sport is such an integral part of our culture today that we Americans sometimes take for granted its significance in our everyday lives. Contemporary baseball is so closely related with American ideals and identity that it often has served as an expression of patriotism. In times of national hardships, baseball has been used to encourage and rally the nation. In speaking of the emergence of America's nationalism in the historic and contemporary playing field, there are several key issues that surface. Of these issues I will specifically address the long residuals of how baseball has helped to establish our (Americans) national spirit and identity. That is the links between our heritage and national institutions and the game of baseball as a cultural and political representative abroad and unifying tradition at home. I will also address ideals and injustices. That is how baseball's acceptability has changed over time, and how this acts as a microcosm for America's changing attitudes about equality and opportunity.

“Take me out to the ballgame. Take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks. I don’t care if I ever get back.” The sentiment expressed in this popular American song, sums up the feeling of the American sports fan. They feel and believe that baseball was invented in America. To them there is no confusion or controversy. The origin of baseball is very clear to the American sports

Throughout Kansas, families of all shapes and sizes can say this is what they love most about their state. Being one of America’s past times, baseball has driven people together. Due to the Royals winning the World Series, it has become even more popular among kids. They aspire to be like Perez or Moustakas, wanting to make amazing plays and lead their team to victory. Down at the Blue Valley Reactional baseball fields, many of these boys can be found. One day on a hot, summer day in Kansas, these athletes are rushing to the fields, while carrying bags that are as tall and heavy as them. While settling into their sunflower seed filled dugouts, the sound of metal spikes hitting the cement fills the air. These kids are ready to shed blood, sweat, and tears in the 100 degree weather that Kansas has produced.

The Negro Leagues, baseball leagues for merely black players, allowed urban communities to “pass down the tradition of ‘their’ game 25.” As the Negro leagues ended, baseball’s popularity diminished because it no longer acted as a unique and individualized aspect of African-American culture. The Negro Leagues and the black baseball movement inspired hope as a part of the larger civil rights movement of the 20th century and the black community utilized baseball “as a means of collective identity and civic pride 26.” African- American’s racial advances in baseball signaled the long term success of the larger civil rights movement of the 20th century. As a result, baseball became essential in identifying the progress and identity of African-American culture. Baseball lost its social prevalence after the African-American civil rights movement due to the emergence of other

Baseball has played a vital role in the American society. “Baseball is a lot like life. It's a day-to-day existence, full of ups and downs. You make the most of your opportunities in baseball as you do in life” (“Ernie Harwell”). This quote by Ernie Harwell is very true for the American spirit today.