Red Sox Religion

Ray’s love for baseball begins with his father repeating that Joe Jackson was an innocent man. As an amateur baseball player, Ray’s father idolizes Joe Jackson as a hero and mentor. The real test of Ray’s love for baseball occurs when he hears the voice, “If you build it, he will come” (Kinsella, 1). Immediately, he “envisioned the finish product I was being asked to conceive… a baseball field” (Kinsella 1) and begins clearing a portion of the cornfield. To Ray, “it” is the baseball field and “he” is Joe Jackson. By building a baseball field, Joe Jackson will come. However, building and

connections that Ray has with baseball forces him to say, “A ballpark at night is more like a church

Religion as defined by Merriam-Webster is, “the belief in a god or in a group of gods; an organized

Ever since I could remember, I have always had a great interest and love for the game of baseball. As a kid, I would spend countless hours in the backyard with my grandfather, or even by myself, tossing, hitting and fielding a baseball. When I wasn't in the yard pretending to be Nomar Garciaparra I would watch the Boston Red Sox games on TV with my Grandfather.  Even in my early adolescence, as impatient as most are, I had the patience to sit there and watch the Sox.With my eyes glued to the screen with a look of anticipation fixed on my face ready to mimic my grandfather with the excitement of a home run hit or the frustration of Mo-Vaughn striking out. Call me crazy, but I was addicted, even as a young boy, to Boston Red Sox baseball.

Baseball is a game of skill that is played with a hard ball and a bat between two teams of nine players each at a time on the playing field at once. Although many different people play Baseball all over the world it is most popular in the United States. It is so popular in fact, it is referred to as the national pastime of the United States because of the tradition and popularity associated with the game. Baseball consists of many complicated rules. It also has a very elaborate history. One can not fully understand the game America has grown to love until learning about not only the rules but also the history.

George Herman Ruth, better known as Babe Ruth, is an American baseball hero due to his successes that have allowed him to become a household name even after his passing. His great legacy lives on, but for those not alive during his reign over baseball, it is sometimes hard to grasp the Babe’s true life story, which is where film comes into play. In the several films about Babe Ruth, many differentiating perspectives about his life are introduced. In The Babe Ruth Story (1948) and The Babe (1992), we are shown two very different versions of the ‘Great Bambino’. With the help of Ardolino’s analysis of the deification and deconstruction of Ruth in Reel Baseball, it is easy to see the similarities and differences between the two Hollywood Babes. Ardolino states that, “In fact, these movies are dialectically related: the first is an attempt to sacralize Ruth’s checkered life, and the latter is an attempt to replace the hagiography with a Dickensian psychodrama of a bumbling Bacchus who belches, farts, indulges his appetites, is haunted by his past, explodes irrationally when he is called ‘incorrigible’ and never gains any measure of self-control” (115-16). Ardolino’s chapter thoroughly discussed the portrayals of Babe Ruth as a character, which brings to light the similarities and differences portrayed in both Hollywood films. After screening the Hollywood films, we move to screen the documentary about Ruth, a blatant deification, which treats his life story much differently.

Many Cub players denounced the hatred towards Bartman as unfair. Several players went so far as to suggest inviting Bartman to a game, though he himself refused. People openly questioned the “spirit” of baseball that would happily torture an innocent Cubs’ fan for the sake of defeat or victory (Beck, 2003). Besides opinion columns and media, books chronicling sports history include Bartman as an example of the culture of fan imagination, which is significant enough to find its place in history (Cohen, 2014). And with their imagination, Cubs have entered a superstitious existence, of almost comedic futility that both fans and outsiders have constantly (and sometimes) mournfully

¨Los Angeles Dodgers ace Sandy Koufax chose not to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series against the Minnesota Twins because it fell on Yom Kippur, the Jewish holiday of atonement¨ (Caple). Consequently on the morning of Yom Kippur, Elliot Storm, a Jewish boy in New York, planned to skip services that morning to watch the World Series Sandy was going to pitch in (Caple). Due to the fact Sandy Koufax was Jewish, he opted out of being the starting pitcher in the World Series, all because he wanted to observe the holiday. The choice Koufax made told Jews all over the world, as well as other religious and spiritual groups that if you stayed true to your beliefs that you could and should be more important than making money or bring the most popular guy on television ( Halberstam). He gave a sense of inspiration and encouragement to others by making a statement saying that your beliefs matter and don’t let anything get in the way of that (Kuttler). Koufax was quickly becoming famous for much more than just his talents on the field. Being able to tell yourself to step out of one of the biggest milestones in a baseball player's career, was able to make Sandy look humble and respectful for all to

Like many of the works discussed here, Peter Booth Wiley and Korogi Ichiro's 1990 book, Yankees in the Land of the Gods:

Going to a game in Fenway is a smorgasbord of delightful feelings. Even the walk up to the ballpark is some thing to behold. Walking with hundreds of passionate fans, all decked out in their red sox T-shirts, jerseys, and of coarse that iconic navy hat with the red B on it. I feel like I belong there with this organized group of strangers. There is such a since of family as I see people from the “T” car I was on and chatted with. A few hundred yards ahead I could hear a “Lets Go Red Sox” chant as people around me began to join in

In Wikipedia religion is defined“A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and worldviews that relate humanity to an order of existence.” There are approximately more than four thousand religion in the world. Christianity and Islam are part of the major significant religion.

Personally I was drawn to this book because I come from a baseball crazy family. Mother being an Angels fan, and my father being a Dodgers fan. Because I was a creation of my

Today was a lot of fun! Dad took me to the Red Sox game today. Even though they are not doing very well this year, they can still turn it around. They have two more months. They played the Detroit Tigers today. The game went in to extra innings and both pitchers threw the whole game. My! What a game it was. The Red Sox pulled it out 6-5 in 11 innings. The plus side of going to watch them play against the Tigers is that we got to watch the great Ty Cobb. Though, Elmer Myers really shut down Cobb as he went 0-5 with one run scored and was caught stealing once. They said on the radio after the game that he is still hitting .316 though. The Red Sox ended up collecting 12 hits to the Tigers 8, but the tigers fielded a lot better though, having 2

One of the biggest events that really sparked the start of the new interest of baseball was the building of the new New York Yankee stadium. By the outside being painted, light towers being placed in the outfield, a two story concession stand being built, and corporate boxes being put in, the Yankee’s manager, Leland “Larry” MacPhail, was really setting the stage as to what baseball and baseball parks would turn

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.