Baseball has long been a cherished recreational activity and an integral part of American life and culture. Over time, many baseball terms have become main stream idiomatic expressions in U.S. English, such as something is “in the ballpark” when an action or results fall within commonly accepted and expected boundaries or someone is asked to “step up to the plate” to take status-changing action. In many respects, baseball can be seen as a metaphoric reflection of American cultural and social values. Take for example the many variations of the beloved story of the unassuming underdog baseball player who rises to fame or the disjointed team that manages to rally and win a highly coveted championship trophy, or the notion that there is hope until the very end because “anything can happen in baseball” . Numerous American classics such as The Bad News Bears (1976), The Sandlot (1993), and Perfect Game (2000) build their coming of age stories around baseball as the quintessential American boyhood experience. Why is it then that the love for little league baseball seems to be waning in the small town of Vienna, Virginia?…
The game of baseball itself had not changed much since it first started. The pitcher throws the ball, batter hits the ball, and fielder catches the ball. However, the New York Yankees baseball organization has. They are and still known for their deep pockets, legendary athletes, and being in the spot light. Without those qualities former players would not recognize what the team has become today.…
A true American game and past time that has been part of our lives from the beginning. It has stood the test of time simply because of it's purity and infinite list of players that have fostered the game into what it is today. Yet a single blemish remains that took place in 1919 when the World Series was thrown by eight players including Shoeless Joe Jackson. Shoeless Joe Jackson last played major league baseball in 1920 and was suspended for life, along with seven of his compatriots, by Commissioner Mountain Landis, for his part in throwing the 1919 World Series. Many of Shoeless Joe's greatest fans including Ray Kinsella were deeply saddened to hear the news that their hero would no longer be playing…
I believe that an individual cannot compare between baseball players of different Era’s. The reason why I say this is because the game has changed dramatically. Over the years American League has allowed designated hitters since 1973, while the National League hasn’t. A designated hitter is a batter who bats instead of the pitcher. In the 1960’s pitchers did not have relief pitching, so you basically threw until your arm fell off. It was also rare to see a pitcher throw a 100 mph. Now days you see a pitcher throw 100 mph fastballs, as well as relief pitcher warming up and throwing the same speed to help the starter pitcher get out of any problems they get into. In the 1960’s the mound height was set at 15 inches high, until 1968. That year, the baseball commissioner dropped the mound height to 10 inches. The height difference of a mound drastically changes how a pitcher throws. In the 1960’s more pitchers reached over 300 wins within their careers. In modern days it is rarely to see a pitcher throw over 300 wins. This effect is caused by the downward motion of the ball. For example, when the pitcher threw from a 15 inch mound it made it easier for the pitcher to throw and harder for the hitter to hit, due to the downward motion that the ball had traveled. When the mound dropped to 10 inches it made it more evenly match and fair for the hitter to hit.…
Baseball, an all-time great sport, is not dying. T.V Ratings are at an all-time low for baseball. What people don’t understand is that it is greater than ever at the more local level. The more local level isn’t translating to the big stage and the more important games. People don’t look into all the facts and that is why they are fooled that it is dying.…
In what I would call baseball's modern era many of the key roles are now played by a single person rather than a different person on any given day. Most pitchers are now thankful to last solid six innings, players hardly make it an average of five years, and those past their prime are downgraded to the designated hitter. No wonder the Babe Ruth era continues to fascinate.…
Babe Ruth had a major influence on baseball during the 20th century, when he served as a legendary baseball player for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. During his career he led the Red Sox to 3 World Series championships and 4 with the Yankees. He later became a manager for the Brooklyn Dodgers and one of the most inspirational sports figures of all time.…
The first black man to play in the MLB, was Jackie Robinson. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and had many foundations. Jackie Robinson was an artist. He broke the color barrier and stood up for what he believed. He took the violence but gave none back.…
Imagine Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, Matt Cain, being drafted off to war in midst of their season. Baseball was and still is one of Americas greatest past times. During World War II the United States lost about 500 players to the service, the question that haunted the baseball fans was, would baseball survive the war? The players were trading in their major league uniforms to fight for another team. The war claimed talents like Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and Bob Feller. Team owners come up with a solution to halt a shut down.…
What was major league baseball like in the 1940’s? Integration was a controversial issue in the 1940’s. Many of the major league teams were interested to know more about integration which impacted many factors. The impact of black players on the field was significant. They were brought over from the Negro leagues an aggressive style of play. Black players soon established themselves as major league stars. The impact that black baseball players had in the 1940’s was powerful because it sparked the end of racial integration in major league baseball.…
How well do you know the 1950s? The 1950s was the beginning of major things changing, from the way war is fought to the integration of sports and life itself. Even though war and segregation has been around for a huge part of history things were changing soon.…
The 1930s proved to be a difficult time for America by reason of the stock market crash, resulting in the Great Depression. During this strenuous time, people looked to something, anything, to lift their spirits. They needed a reminder that everything might end up all right after the arduous problem at hand. During the hardships of the 1930s, sporting events such as baseball, the olympics, and boxing improved the morale of the people.…
Baseball today, as a sport, is vastly different than it was in the late 19th century. Everything from the rules, leagues and even what days games could be played. Competition helped baseball make the shift from an amateur event, to a professional game. Baseball underwent drastic changes in the late 19th century while dealing with gambling, and anything to do with money. Money, it seemed, corrupted the sport of baseball.…
Many people agree that baseball has always been and always will be considered America’s past time. This game has been played for many centuries and every year the people want more. But to what extent are the players willing to go to, to keep the game going? We cannot deny that everyone loves to see players hit homeruns and to see the ball fly out of the park, it is one of the greatest things to happen in a game. This homerun tradition has been going on since the Babe Ruth era of baseball and many would argue that he was the outstanding player that started the trend. As you watch baseball over the years, players are hitting more and more homeruns every year but to this effect there is an explanation to why the game has changed to such an explosive…
Growing up I played baseball to me baseball was everything i could think of. i couldn't wait to the weekend so i could put on that dirty uniform and pick up the new bat and nice leather glove and play baseball. When i was young i played in a big park in NYC where everyone saw you play so as i grew up everyone expected me to continue playing baseball and get better and work hard my mother always signed me up for baseball and i met a lot of coaches who help me gain more talent throughout the years. So as i grew up baseball started to be more and more of a priority to me i went to baseball practice two times a week one during the week and one on the weekend and with baseball practice i attended a baseball program which is twice a week meaning less and less time for homework and time to study. that being said i believe that time management and dealing with less and less sleep is the biggest problem with high school sports.…