Weekly Post #4: Baseball in Cuba (due Feb 5)

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 7: We Are the Ship ... heads into port (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.  What role did the players have in shaping the racial identity of black Americans? (use text to support your arguments)

Going bigger ...
Looking at the Branch Rickey articles and the additional pieces on Jackie Robinson, how do we see the grit and the glory, the contrast of hope and despair in the national pastime?

Film (as time permits)
Only the Ball Was White (30 mins)

Day 6: We Are The Ship Innings 1-4

A video

Pre-writing: 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?

Questions

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

2. What's the effect of repeating the phrase: "We played in a rough league"?
3. What is the most striking example of the player's struggle presented thus far?
4. What is the significance of the title?

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

Post #3: Mariano Rivera and #42 (Due Jan 29)

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'll 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 29, two days before Jackie Robinson's birthday. So sing him happy birthday while you're working.

Day 5: Bill James Almanac

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?

Filling in some gaps
1. Most famous players from 1900-1910 // 1910-1920 // 1920-1930 // 1930-1940
2. Commissioners?
3. Variety of films --> Black Sox scandal & Babe Ruth

Day 4: When the Grass Was Real

Thinking about all of our previous readings
1. What are some of the tensions present in the game? Be specific and use text as evidence.

Thinking about Cool Papa Bell
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 where can you find this tension? How do players respond to it? Deal with it? What are we to think of this tension?

Baseball: Inning 2, 3 & 4 (chpts ... )

Weekly Post #2: A-Rod (due Jan 22)

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)

Day 3: 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.

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

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 (voting happens next 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 1: Let's get going

1. Course intro ... who am I and what do I expect? what are we going to do?
2. Who are you?
3. Major themes of the course: Big Papi knows (2016) and so does Casey at Bat (June 3, 1888 // published in SF Examiner)
4. Inning 1, Chpt 2 & 3 (25 mins)