The final project: 2016!

Solo time and then as a class:

1. What are some of the major themes we've talking about this semester?
2. What are some of the big questions we've asked this semester?
3. What are you curious about in terms of baseball that you'd like to investigate

Guiding principle:
Your final project must be thoughtfully connected to our work from the semester.

Unless you are writing a paper, you must teach a 20-minute mini-lesson.

1. It’s open to anything you want to do. But you must guided by a concisely articulated and well-supported thesis.
2. You will be responsible for visual and/or auditory elements in your presentation and an interactive component.
3. One reading posted to the class blog with guiding questions (related to your lesson) and posted two days before your lesson. Other groups must respond.
4. You will write a 1-page reflection piece on your process

Your peers will evaluate your lesson. You must fill out a self-evaluation (and partner, if working with a partner).

Expectations

You are expected to source heavily from our texts. You can use film as well as magazines and newspapers to complement our readings. You cal also use the blog postings.

Rubric

1. Preparation: How well did you meet the deadlines and how well are you meeting homework and in-class demands during the process?
2. Partnership: How well did you work in a pair dividing responsibilities and generating ideas together? And, sharing workload during the planning process and lesson? Did your partnership embody good collaboration?
3. Point: your argument & research: How sound and thoughtful is your argument? Is it based on good, smart evidence and research? How well do you understand and clearly articulate the ideas you are investigating? How unique/original is your argument? Is your argument compelling and original in thought?
4. Presentation & lesson: How clearly is your argument presented? How thoughtful is your lesson? Do you engage all members of the class? Do you employ different components of a good lesson? Are you prepared and composed? Is the lesson organized and well-paced?

Timeline

Mon May 2: brainstorm ideas as a class

Wed May 4: Guiding question due at end of class

Fri May 6: Research ideas, methodology and project outline due

Tu May 10: Work on project --> check-ins with Mary // thesis due at end of class

Th May 12: Work on project --> check-ins with Mary

Mon May 16: Work on project --> group workshop // research notes and bibliography due at end of class

Wed May 18: Finalize presentation --> solo day to work

Fri May 20: Presentations/Mini-lessons

Tu May 24: Presentations/Mini-lessons

Game of Shadows for Mark & Lance visit

Please post 3 questions for our visitors. Read what is posted before you, so as to avoid repeated questions.

Some info about Lance and Mark.

Mark Bio. And a fun read about Mark and his brother.

Lance Bio. And check out some of this articles. Good stuff!

GoS: the final reading

1. Quick Chris Ballard Skype interview
2. Final questions from groups ...


Seniors leaving on senior project: Due May 6 via dropitto.me/mcollie

Game of Shadows ... what are to make of this? What's the legacy of Barry Bonds and BALCO? And what impact has it had on baseball as America's national pastime? Your only source is Game of Shadows. I want you to answer the So What? 2-3 pages, double spaced, due by week's end. You should be asserting a strong argument and making some good claims. We've been talking about baseball in America a lot, so you should have plenty of ideas. You can use I. Think of this as a written grappling of some of our bigger ideas.

Seiichiro & the juniors
Let's talk about your last few weeks ... 7 classes + 2 to present findings (each presentation is a mini-lesson about 20 minutes long)

Post #12: Underpaid Young Stars (due April 24)

There is something about this piece I love. Maybe it's the tension between "underpaid" young stars and the big contract players they will someday (hopefully) become. I use quotes around underpaid intentionally because, let's get serious, even though these players are underpaid, they are making so much more money than the average American. That said, they are making much less than players who aren't performing as well or who have signed big deal contracts. I also find Teixeira's closing line to be quite fitting to the real culture of MLB. What are your thoughts?

Post #11: Drugs & Alcohol in 1986 (Due April 17)

Not necessarily the same class of PED as talked about in Game of Shadows, but amphetamines and alcohol we abused regularly in the mid-80s, especially on the championship Mets. An interesting piece from an insider about the culture of the team. Should these players be banned from Hall of Fame consideration? Their records torn down? What are your thoughts?

Post #10: A good guy doing good stuff (due April 12)

Not going to lie, I was thrilled to see this piece in the NYTimes about Sean Doolittle, a pitcher from the A's. He's the kind of player who can safely go to the grocery store, live his life in relative obscurity, and otherwise enjoy some moderate fame but nothing too wild. So here he is in the pages of the Sunday Times, and I think it's a good read. What are you thoughts? You know you want to connect this to the American Dream and masculinity and hero worship ... or you can just read and respond. Like I said, I'm just pumped to see Doolittle in a national paper.

Day 22: Workshopping the rough draft

Revision work .... fill out handout and get into groups. Once group work is done I'd like to check in with everyone.

Group 1: Andres, Tabby, Will
Group 2: Evan, Brodie, Connor M
Group 3: Elizabeth, Connor S, Sammy
Group 4: Lacy, Ian, Kiki
Group 5: Jonathan, Kraz, Gabe
Group 6: Seiichiro, Sofia, Jack

Post #9: Questions for Chris Ballard (due March 20)

Seeing as Chris will be with us for class on Thursday March 24, I'd love to generate some questions to ask him. Please think about the style of questions we've worked on in class and write 4-5 questions for Chris. Pleas read the questions posted before you post so we avoid repeats.

Day 21: The outline ...

***Check in about senior project --> who is not doing one?***

***Review timeline of essay and in-class visitors.***

Outline work in groups

Writer

• What are you most proud of in this outline?
• What do you feel is lacking?
• List THREE specific areas in which you feel you need some help.
• Any other global questions you have for the reader?

Reader

• Review thesis statement for clarity and argumentation
• Are the topic sentences arguable, specific, and concise?
• Does the evidence SHOW the thesis/argument?
• Where and how does the author take steps beyond the obvious?
• What other global suggestions do you have for the writer?

Group 1: Jonathan, Will, Elizabeth 

Group 2: Lacy, Kraz, Seiichiro

Group 3: Tabby, Evan, Connor S

Group 4: Ian, Andres, Sofia

Group 5: Brodie, Connor M, Sammy

Group 6: Kiki, Gabe, Jack

Once your partner work is done, I would like to check in with students briefly. Then it's work time to flesh out the outline into your first rough draft.

Day 19: One Shot at Forever ... the end

Free writing
The focus of the second to last reading was the game against Lane Tech. Notice how much longer the description was and how much more detail there was about the game. Why was that game more important? Why did Ballard move quickly over the final game? What does this tell us about the point of this story?

OR

Steve Shartzer ... 217-220. What are we to take from Steve's experiences in life and with sport? Related to larger themes of Am Dream and the course.

OR

What did you think of the closing?
------------------------------

Brainstorm of major themes. With each idea give me one quote to support the idea. Craft an essay question related to theme.

Think about literary devices used in the story. Give example of each. Craft a essay question related to a literary device.

Other questions ...

Choosing your question and beginning to write ...

Post #8: The good old college try (due Mar 14)

A fun piece on the tradition of MLB teams playing college teams during spring training. I feel like this piece captures some of the magic, the dream the field can hold. What are your thoughts? Opinions? Responses? How does this piece play into any themes we've discussed thus far?

Giving it the Old College Try

Day 18: One Shot up to 203

Plot questions? Comments? Insights? How's the reading going?

Question generation for essays: Some practice
1. Questions on meaning (plot?)
2. Questions on purpose & audience (why?)
3. Questions on method and structure (how?)
4. Questions on language (tone, literary devices, style, characterization)

• Write one question for each category.
• Share w partner. Revise as needed.
• Gallery walk ... star three in each category you like.
• Put top questions on board & discuss.

Top questions generated in class

1. What is the role of women in the story and why?
2. How does the conflicting relationship between the town and Sweet change as the team succeeds? Why does this change come about and what is its significance?
3. What message should we draw from a story fueled by a desire to win but that ends in a loss? How do we reconcile the differences?
4. How did the reader's perspective of Macon change to reflect the team's success during the two seasons? (focus on how the reader only sees Macon through the lens of baseball)
5. What is the deeper meaning beneath the story?
6. Who is the intended audience?
7. What is the significance of the reader's perception of McClard and how does that shift over the course of the story?
8. How does the nature of Macon being a small town play into the American Dream?
9. How does the characterization of the conservative and the hippie reflect America at this time? (changing American identity?)
10. How does Sweet and McClard's relationship emphasize the social and political changes of the time?
11. Why does Ballard create so many one-sided characters and how does he use them to create a collective emotion?
12. How does the motif of father/son interactions teach us about the role of masculinity during the pursuit of the American Dream?
13. In what ways does Ballard's characterization make this a coming of age story?
14. How does the tone towards winning state develop throughout the book? Significance of this change?
15. How does the use of symbols help emphasize the David and Goliath like run of the Macon Ironmen?

Day 17: One Shot Up to 170

Writing

Lynn Sweet finally comes to see an Ironmen game. Ballard writes, "And yet, now the son was on the verge of doing something impressive. Not in teaching, or writing, or some other pursuit of the mind, but in athletics, a language his father was fluent in, even if he'd never been much of a baseball fan.

What other language are you fluent in? You can think about this language in terms of friends or family, but I want you to think about what this language affords you? With whom does it connect you? With whom does it disconnect you?

Chpt. 14 Question
1. Why does Ballard craft Shartzer and Sweet's stories in parallel? What impact does this have on the narrative? on the characterization of the men?

Larger questions on gender

Looking at the text thus far, how does the text deal with the themes of ...
1. Father/Son dynamics
2. Masculinity
3. Adolescent males

How do these themes manifest themselves in the text and what conclusions are we to draw from the text about each theme? Use text evidence to support your ideas.

Question generation for essays
Questions on meaning (plot?)
Questions on purpose & audience (why?)
Questions on method and structure (how?)
Questions on language (tone, literary devices, style, characterization)

Weekly Post #7: Mo'ne Davis ... a girl in baseball!! (Due March 6)

A great read about Mo'ne Davis, and another one about why she matters to girls in sport. While this story is a bit old, I think it's a great example of a change maker, a trendsetter. Do you think Mo'ne's performance is a sign of more girls and women playing baseball? Do you think this is just an anomaly? Share your thoughts.

I want to say that I recognize this might be a touchy subject. My intention is not pit people against each other or set someone up to say "women don't belong." I do think accessibility at early ages is hugely important for girls, and I think this is a complicated issue.

Day 16: One Shot up to 128

Some writing practice

1. What's one important symbol in the text so far and what does it represent?
2. How does Ballard create both realistic and mythical characters?
3. What role does masculinity and heroism play in achieving the American Dream in One Shot At Forever?
4. How does Ballard's style and structure create tension not only in the games but also within characters?

Step 1: write for 40 mins and craft a crisp, concise, and thesis driven paragraph that answers one of the questions.
Step 2: Find a partner and swap work.
Step 3: Make revision to thesis statement
Step 3: Put thesis statement on the board

Day 15: One Shot up to 95

Writing:
David and Goliath. What do you know? What do you think of? Modern day examples? Value of this allusion?

Discussion

• Review of major characters --> Where do we find conflict?
• Self v self (psychological)
• Self v other (interpersonal)
• Self v society
• p.68-72: What literary techniques does Ballard use create suspense? Look at language and style.
• How does Ballard engender sympathy in the reader? (use text as evidence)
• How does Ballard use stereotype to his advantage? break from it?
• How would you describe Ballard's language and style?

**What themes are present in the book so far?
**What has Ballard set-up for the second half of the book?
**Passages that standout?
**Am Dream connections.

Weekly Post #6: Baseball in Africa (due Feb 29)

A good read from last spring. Keeping up with the international baseball trend. This is a piece about the power of baseball in other countries. Specifically, this looks at the coach and he reminded me a bit of Lynn Sweet. Read, comment, reflect. What are your thoughts on George and his baseball project?

Day 14: One Shot At Forever (up to 64)

Pre-number --> For this book, your essay will be of your own design. You will craft a question and answer it in an essay of no more than five pages.

1. America in late 60s and early 70s
2. How is nonfiction storytelling similar and/or different fiction? (focus on basic elements of a story: character, setting, conflict plot, theme AND exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution)

Write: Chris Ballard said, "This book isn't really about baseball; it's about the memory of an event and how those memories changed lives." Think about memories, about major events in your life. How do memories turn into myths?

Characterization (in groups w/text evidence)
1. The town
2. Lynn Sweet
3. Britton
4. Steve Shartzer
5. Bill McClard

Style
1. How would you describe Ballard's style?
2. What techniques does Ballard use to characterize people and places?
3. How does Ballard set up the conflict early on in the book? Is it effective?
4. How does Ballard use stereotype to his advantage? break from it?

Discussion
1. Looking at Ballard's early characterization of the team, what conflicts does this set up? What surprises? (p.35-41)
2. How does Ballard weave together evidence of promise and failure and what is the effect of those pieces of description?
3. Ballard includes a number of side stories about Sweet. Look at one of them and discuss the added value of the details and story.
4. How does Ballard contrast Shartzer and Sweet? Be specific. Use the text.
5. p. 52: Heneberry characterization

**What themes are present in the book so far?
**What has Ballard set-up for the second half of the book?
**Passages that standout?
**Am Dream connections?

Weekly Post #5: The Lure of Baseball in the DR (due Feb 15)

Keeping our reading to the Caribbean, here's a complementary piece about baseball in the Dominican Republic. While I wanted to save this for later in the semester, I think it works well as a contrast to last week's reading. How is baseball and the dream of MLB alive and well in the DR?  What about the exploitation that's only briefly mentioned? Maybe we shouldn't be surprised as that's been a component of baseball for a long, long time. What are you thoughts?

Day 11: Peer revision in groups

Group work (see handout)

1. Jonathan, Brodie, Kraz
2. Lacy, Kiki, Jack
3. Tabby, Gabe, Elizabeth
4. Evan, Sofia, Seiichiro
5. Ian, Andres, Connor M
6. Will, Connor S, Sammy

Solo work/Check-ins with Mary
Please use the remainder of class to work, check-in with me, work with a peer, and otherwise make progress on your essay.

Day 10: Review and write

It's writing time!!!

1. Thesis Checklist (Complete the worksheet and then rewrite thesis one more time)
2. Working in groups ... review topic sentences and evidence.

• Are the topic sentences arguable? Do they move beyond the obvious?
• How do the pieces of evidence SHOW the topic sentences?

3. As time permits, work toward rough draft (due Friday)

Groups
1. Sophia, Brody, Connor S
2. Tabby, Andres, Seich
3. Jack, Evan, Jonathan
4. Kiki, Sammy, Will
5. Elizabeth, Kraz, Ian
6. Lacy, Gabe, Connor M

Weekly Post #4: Baseball in Cuba (due Feb 7)

An interesting read on Baseball in Cuba. Is this the way things are headed here in the US? How might this impact a game that is drawing more and more players from Spanish speaking countries? Could this cause a shift in the ethnic/racial make-up of MLB? Or am I making a mountain out of a mole hill, and MLB will just find and cultivate talent elsewhere? What are your thoughts?

Day 9: Film & thesis statements

1. Film
2. Check thesis statements.

HW:

Day 8: Essay and film

1. Here's your essay

Timeline
Feb 1: thesis due (finishing movie in class)
Feb 3: Topic sentences and evidence collected (workshop in class)
Feb 5: Draft #1 (workshop in class)
Feb 9: Essay due at end of class (mini workshop in class)

2. Movie!!

Day 7: Dave Zirin & some video

Writing (solo and then in triads and then class)
What are your thoughts? Your reactions to this essay on Robinson? What was revealed? What perspectives changed?

How does Robinson represent the grit and the glory? He's the ultimate both/and!

Selected clips from First Class Citizenship

Jackie Robinson Clip
25th Anniversary

Video
Inning 5: Chpts 9, 11, 16, 18

Weekly Post #3: Mariano Rivera and #42 (due Jan 31)

This is an old piece on Yankee closer Mariano Rivera and his wearing of #42, but I think thematically it links to a lot of what we've been talking about this last week. What are your thoughts? What connections to do you find between Rivera and Robinson and some of the broader topics we've discussed?

A special note: this post is due on January 31. JACKIE ROBINSON'S BIRTHDAY!!!! So sing him happy birthday (he is no longer alive, but if he was he'd be 97) while you're working.

We Are The Ship: The End

Just down the road from Greenlee field.

To honor Gibson's life, a little league field was built in the same neighborhood as Greenlee Field was in. (Extra but non-baseball info: August Wilson was born just down the street from here!)

Gibson's grave. See the tiny sign to the left of the tree.

Yours truly and the sign. 

Up-close of Gibson's grave. Not very fancy.

For comparison purposes, here is Babe Ruth's grave. Small difference ... (photo not mine)

Photo of Jackie Robinson in the KC Royals Hall of Fame/Museum.

Satchel Page pitching for the Monarchs. KC Hall of Fame/Museum.



Photos from Roberto Clemente Museum. What do you see in this photo? Clemente made his MLB debut in 1955 and played out his career for the Pirates. He was the first Latin American inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973 (and some say the last Pirate), a year after he died.


More of Roberto Clemente


Clemente's San Juan jersey from his team in Puerto Rico.

Another one of Clemente's jerseys.

Clemente and his family at Family Day.

Clemente's Golden Glove; he won 12! He was only in the MLB for 18 seasons. Not bad. 

Clemente's Silver Bat from 1961. He won this four times in his career.

A video
Sean Gibson & Kadir Nelson

Discussion ideas

1. What impact did the negro leagues on the idea of baseball? The role of baseball in American culture? The construction of American masculinity (if any)?

2. How did the players offer fans dignity, strength, and community? How did the players help shape the racial identity of black Americans? (use text to support your arguments)
3. How would you describe the tone of this book? Ground your answer specifically to the text.
4. Did a certain negro league player stand out to you? Why?
5. Anything else?

Film
Inning 5: Chpts 5 & 6

Only the Ball Was White (30 mins)

When the Grass was Real & We Are the Ship --> Foreward & Innings 1-4

A breakdown of what a ball is made of.

Evolution of gloves in MLB.

Now a housing development, the old field is only marked by this sign.

Good museum but the majority of the items are reproductions. You're also not allowed to take any photos inside. Not nice!

What team is this building associated with?

A video

Thinking about Cool Papa Bell & We Are the Ship
1. Finding the tension: As we transition from the early days of baseball into pre-integration days, there's a tension that exists in the game. There's the national pastime. There's the glory, the heroes, the sentimentality for the era. At the same time, there is the harsh reality of segregation. The struggle for non-white players to make a living and find success. Looking closely at Cool Papa Bell's oral narrative and the early chapters of We Are The Ship, where can you find this tension? How do players respond to it? Deal with it? What are we to think of this tension?

More specifically We Are The Ship

1. How did the illustrations enhance the story? Which one was your favorite and why?

2. Inning 4 ends with a quote from Satchel Paige: "We were worked. Worked like the mule that plows the field during the week and pulls the carriage to church on Sunday." What are your thoughts on this line? If the players were the mules, who were the farmers? If the players were tearing up the land(scape) of baseball, do you think they were doing it for future generations?
3. What's the effect of repeating the phrase: "We played in a rough league"?
4. What is the most striking example of the player's struggle presented thus far?
5. What is the significance of the title?

Some KB effect (as time permits): Inning 5, Chpts. 3, 5, 6

Weekly Post #2: A-Rod as fallen Hero (due Jan 24)

A Cruel Bargain for A-Rod and Boys With Baseball Dreams

While this is old, I think it's a great read about Alex Rodriguez. And no I'm not posting this because I grew up rooting for the Yankees; rather, I think this article (and the steroid issues) addresses one of the major themes we'll cover this semester: the fallen hero. This is where the ideas of the grit and glory have to held equally as we learn about baseball. But how do they work with/against each other.

What are your thoughts on the idea of A-Rod as a fallen hero? Was his trajectory unavoidable? Is the pressure to be better, faster, stronger partly to blame for his fall? How does he present the grit and the glory? (so many questions ... don't go crazy)

Baseball Poems

Breaking up into smaller groups, discuss the structure, diction and tone of your assigned poem. SAS that poem!

Guiding Questions:
1. What aspect(s) of the game is the poet trying to capture?
2. In what way does your poet employ nostalgia or sentimentality?
3. What assumptions are made about the reader?

Film: Inning 1 for a bit.

Weekly Post #1: Pete Rose and the HOF

Please read this piece on Pete Rose. I know I mentioned the Hall Of Fame briefly last week, but this piece gets to something we will touch on the entire semester (especially in your first paper): how do you reconcile a past that might not be as glorious as you like? How do you bring that past into the present?

In this article, I especially love the paragraph that talks about the roll of a history museum (what the HOF is). To paraphrase, "a history museum's role is to educate and inform not influence."

What are your thoughts on this piece? Pete Rose being kept out of the Hall of Fame? I don't expect you to do any research on Rose. Reading this piece should give you enough to comment on.

Day 2: Ritter & Spaulding

Wahoo Sam's plaque in the Cincinnati Reds' Hall of Fame.

Where is Wahoo? About 1 hour west of Omaha.

Entrance to current Detroit ballpark: Comerica Park. This new park replaced Tiger Stadium in 2000. Tiger Stadium was then demolished, but a crew of fans and local residents maintain the field to this day. How cool! And remember this when we read Thrill of the Grass.

Dave, an usher at Comerica. One of my favorite shots from the game.

The outfield. Not where Crawford and Cobb played, but it's still a good looking field.

Honus Wagner's grave just outside of Pittsburgh, PA. (Commercial)

Discussion questions:

1. In what ways do these two pieces capture the patriotism and nostalgia often associated with baseball?
2. How does Spaulding perpetuate the gender roles of the traditional American male and what effect does this stereotype have on the game and our society today?
3. What major American themes does Spaulding find present in Base Ball?
4. What else did you learn? New facts, figures, insights?

Watch
Inning 1: Chpts 2-11

Day 1: It all begins ... Play ball!

1. Some baseball news we must talk about .... HoF Voting 2016 and and the veterans committee selection is still unknown. Who was inducted in 2013?
2. Course intro ... who am I and what do I expect? what are we going to do?
3. Who are you?
4. Where do we find baseball in our lives every day? Think about phrases and idioms we get from the game.
5. Take Me Out to the Ballgame: When is this song played during a ball game? Why? (Hint: Taft)
6. Casey at the Bat written in June 3, 1888 and published in the SF Examiner (words & recording)
7. Inning 1, Chpt 1 (25 mins)