Shoeless in Iowa 90-131

1. Read 96-101 aloud.

• final two paragraphs on 97  before the break -- Ray is a dreamer. How does Kinsella employ imagery to convey mythology?
• What's the difference between myth and religion?
• What does Ray learn from Salinger? Salinger from Ray?
• How does Ray convince Salinger to go? Look specifically at the language.
• Ray is tuned into baseball while others are tuned into religion. What is Salinger tuned into?
• Big question -- why do people believe or have faith?

2. Ray is on this mission to collect players and people and bring them to his field. He's facilitating dream realization for not only himself but also strangers in need. Put yourself in Ray's shoes. Imagine you've heard a voice and gotten a call.

1. What do you build?
2. Who do you bring to your location?
3. Why have you brought this person(s)?
4. What lessons do they offer you?

Some fun links

Baseball Nation Map

Who needs bad lip reading?

Great clips

Never swing in the dugout

Shoeless Joe: 23-53

Cleveland

Cleveland 

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh at night, post-game

Yankee Stadium

Yankee Stadium at night

1981 Yankee Stadium

Some bat info: see 1.10
Bat Technology from Louisville Slugger

MLB Groundskeepers Don't Mind Getting Dirty

J.D. Salinger Obit

Sentimental: excessive, self-indulgent
Nostalgic: longing for
How can we see these two feelings thus far in the novel? What is the nuanced difference as expressed through Ray?

Free write: In Shoeless Joe, a voice tells Ray, "ease his pain," and he knows immediately that it is J.D. Salinger whose pain needs to be eased. So Ray begins preparing (see pages 33-34). Think about  an immense challenge you have had to prepare yourself for (a test, a game, a performance). What rituals did you partake in to ensure you were successful?

Discussion

Hero's cycle

How do our own rituals inform our reading of this text?

A look at similes: Thinking back on your immense challenge and your rituals, write 7 similes characterizing your experience.

Weekly Post #12: The big shift

Baseball is becoming more and more scientific, and one of the best ways to see this is to watch how a team handles a batter. It used to be a pitchers job to know how a hitter hits, but know the entire team must know not only how a hitter hits (or doesn't) but also where a hitter hits. In different situations. With different pitch counts. It's crazy! This article (and the accompanying pieces -- check out the more heading a few scrolls down) gets into some of the nitty gritty of the game. This article satisfies my inner stats geek, my tactician, my desire to quantify the unquantifiable.

You wrote some amazing responses to the Bryce Harper piece, looking for the same ideas here. What did you learn. What's new? What's your take-away? I know we don't all look at baseball the same way, but I do believe there are some gems in here for everyone.

And for those moments (Wes) when you want to procrastinate, here are some nice close-ups from spring training. I hope you can get over the fact that the players are Dodgers. The pics are pretty cool.

Even better procrastination material: Roy Hobbs lives! And he's a Brewer. This is crazy! Nuts! Wild!

Shoeless Joe 1-23

1. The 80s (13 mins: Inning 9, Chpts 13, 14, 15 -- maybe Chpt 5 as related to Jackie Robinson)

2. Free write: Look at the quote that prefaces the book. Why do you think W.P. Kinsella began the book with this idea?

"Some men see thing as they are, and say why, I dream of things that never were, and say why not."

3. A bit more insight into the novel. And what is magical realism?

Discussion questions:

1. How is Ray's epiphany on p.16 related to the magic on the field?

2. Where in the chapter can we find magic (not literally the word)? Why is it important to weave that in from the start? What is W.P. Kinsella trying to show us? What is he asking of us?

3. In what ways do Karin & Annie differ? Why is their difference essential to Ray's success/failure?

4. How does Annie's faith in Ray mirror his faith in baseball? And why has W.P. Kinsella created such similar faiths? What commentary might he be making on faith in general?

5. Let's look at some verbs .... find a few that just pop from the page. And, pay close attention to the verbs and similes/metaphors as we move forward.

Magical Realism, Shoeless Joe & more

Welcome back! Lots to do as we begin our study of Shoeless Joe.

The Thrill of the Grass
*What is magical realism?
*What does the grass represent?
*How does the narrator convey his sense of ownership over the game?

1919 + 1982 = Shoeless Joe

1. Jackie Robinson clip because yesterday was Jackie Robinson day in MLB (April 15, 1947 debut!). Inning 9, Chpt 5 (8 mins)

2. Inning 3, Chpts 12 & 13 = 1919 (37 mins)

3. Inning 9, Chpts 11, 12, 13 = early 1980s baseball (13 mins)

What was happening in America in 1982?

• Recession
• High unemployment (10.8%)
• High inflation (13.5%)
• Out of recession by 1984

Weekly Post #11: Bryce Harper's swing

This is one of my favorite baseball articles of the last few years. The content is good. The media is good. The combination of the two is awesome. I'm not asking you to think about larger themes or ideas, just respond to what you read. What did you learn? What did you think of this baseball package? I definitely look at this as a great example of alternative story-telling, and that's why I think it's great. Enjoy.

And this has nothing to do with Harper, but it's quite funny. Love how athletes prank each other.