Shoeless Joe Essay

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Shoeless Joe: 214-233

Con't from prior class:

Richard
Shoeless Joe
Mark
The Field
John Kinsella (father)

For the aforementioned characters, please answer the following questions:
1. What does this character reveal about Ray?
2. What role does this character play in Ray's dream?
3. What is this character's relationship to baseball? American dream?

__________________

1. “I know that some of us, and for some reason I am one of them, get to reach out and touch our heart’s desire, like a child who gets to pet the nose of an old horse, soft as satin, safe as a grandfather’s lap. And I know, too, that when most people reach out for that heart’s desire, it appears not as a horse but as a tiger, and they are rewarded with snarls, frustration, and disillusionment” (218).

Personally: What does this passage make you think of? Textually: How does this relate to the major action of the novel?

2. “A collector’s dream” (217). In what way is Ray a collector? What does he collect?

3. “Fact and fantasy swirl together” (218). What role does self-delusion have in dream fulfillment? Is Ray delusional? Salinger? Are we all, just a little? How does delusion relate to our ability to believe and have faith?

4. “We sleep.” …“And wait.” … “And dream … Oh, how we dream” (221). Dream of what?

5. Look at Eddie’s baseball sermon on p. 227 and beyond:

What’s a sermon?

What are the gospels?

What did baseball offer Eddie?

What does the Field offer Eddie?

What’s the significance of using “the word” in his speech? What effect does the repetition have? What does the repetition allude to?

What does Eddie offer Ray?

Besides the love of the game, what’s the connection between the two men?

Last weekly post #14: Bryce Harper and the swing

Here is a fabulous multi-media piece on Bryce Harper's swing. Regardless of your affinity or dislike for Harper, I'm hopeful you can appreciate all of the data collection that went into this article.

No need to bring this back to our novels or discussions in class, what do you think of the article? Any cool things you learned? Are you dying to becoming a sports statistician? Why do you think sports reporters and fans are always looking to compare current players to previous greats? Are we a nation always searching for our next hero? Is it only within the context of stats that we're able to define a great? So many questions ...

Shoeless Joe: 186-214

Annie

Karin

Eddie Scissons

Salinger

Richard

Shoeless Joe

Mark

The Field

John Kinsella (father)

For the aforementioned characters, please answer the following questions:

1. What does this character reveal about Ray?

2. What role does this character play in Ray's dream?

3. What is this character's relationship to baseball? American dream?

As time permits ... another short story!

Shoeless Joe: 157-186

Let's read a little story called Thrill of the Grass.

Discuss.

Shoeless Joe: 131-153

Veda Ponikvar is real!

A little board work: Please respond to five of the quotes. Think about how they relate to character development, themes, symbols, or the language of the text.

Weekly Post #13: Some light-hearted fun!

I love a good practical joke, and it seems like baseball players do too. Give this a read, laugh out loud, and tell me what you think. I know we're reading about magical realism and dreams and magic and a crazy field filled with ghost players, but how do you think comedy plays a role in baseball? Can magic and pranks co-exist? How do they complement each other? How do they just make you laugh?

Here's a favorite video. Promise it's worth watching about 100 times.

Then check out this top list from bleacherreport.

If you've got a favorite from any sport, feel free to share.

Weekly Post 12: Your Walk-up Song

Seeing as this will be the final post for those leaving on senior project, I thought you could get a little creative. Don't prove me wrong.

At each at-bat, a player selected song is played over the loud speaker. Not going to lie, until recently there was a sterotypical fomula to the songs (white players played country/pop, black players played rap, and latino players played salsa), but nowadays the players are selecting songs themselves and moving away from the sterotype. Thank goodness.

Now it's your turn. You only get about 10-12 seconds of a song. It can be any portion of the song, but I want to know 1. What song would you choose? 2. What portion would you have the announcer play? 3. Why would you choose this song? You can link to the youtube version of your song. And you by no means to to think of yourself walking up to the plate ... it can be onto the court, into a test, into a dance performance, on the block, whatever big moment you want.

Some of my faves this season:
Josh Reddick: Bernie Lean
Josh Donaldson: Regulator by Warren G
Mariano Rivera: Enter Sandman by Metallica
Angel Pagan: Blue
Buster Posey: Hell On Wheels
Panda: Dance (but has three others in the rotation)
Jeter: Otis by Jay Z

My pick -- Madonna -- Holiday -- 4 secs-16 secs. Classic. It says I have great taste in 80s music. It says, don't mess with me because not only can I dance and sing and do crazy yoga poses, but I can also kick some butt when I need to .... just like Madonna.

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

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.

**Prep for Lance Williams ... Prologue & Afterwards

Shoeless Joe 1-23

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."

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 similies/metaphors as we move forward.
6. Sentimental versus Nostalgic

Something about our upcoming visitor, Bob Rose.

Hitters with Blue Eyes are Wary of the Glare

Shoeless Joe begins ...

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

1919 + 1982 = Shoeless Joe

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

2. Inning 3, Chpts 12 & 13 = 1919

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

What was happening in America in 1982?

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

Weekly Post #10: The fan's relationship to the game

In Mark Yost's recent piece on baseball ticket pricing, he touches on a subject near and dear to a central theme of Kinsella's Shoeless Joe: the relationship between fan and players, field and experience. In Shoeless Joe, Ray finds his own way to connect with the game and it's magic. Clearly Yost doesn't have that option. What are you thoughts on Americans' expectation of access to the game? Do fans have a right to certain parts of the game? Is this what makes a sport a pastime and not just a sporting event? Do you think ballparks and football stadiums and soccer fields should strive for more equality?

This piece touches on a subject Jamie and I talk about a lot. For me, my experience with the game as a youngster was more about being in the park regularly rather than seat location. That said, I was only able to go to so many games because the tickets were cheap and my parents were able to afford going. With pricing the way it is today, my family would never have gotten season tickets or attended so many games. It's simply too expensive. How is a team supposed to balance my needs as a fan (I need to see the game live and I need to be able to afford a ticket) with its own needs (a team is a business and they need/want to make as much money as possible). Interesting fact .... the A's made more money than any other team in MLB last year. This stat comes from looking at expenses versus revenue. Ticket prices are among the lowest in the league.

Unrelated by maybe fun ... here are some of the best baseball apps:

1. mlb.com At-Bat (great for the live-game addict) $20 premium access — worth it!
2. Baseball Trade Rumors (for the news junkie) $3
3. FanGraphs Baseball (stat fanatics) $1 — super cool
4. Fan Misery (team loyalist) $1-$3

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Week #9: The Natural's influence

As we close our our study of The Natural, it seems (once again) that the stars are aligned with our course of study .... unplanned, of course.

What do think of this story?

This will be our final post before spring break. We'll pick up posting once we return. Thanks for your good work and insights. I especially enjoyed the posts from last week!

**Kudos to Josh C for sending me another version of this story. Good eye!

The Natural: 135-194

Unrelated to The Natural, but a must see ...

Some small group work: One of the most important chapters comes when Roy is presented with happiness and success with Iris. He's now has a way to restore the wasteland. What does the reader learn about Roy during his interactions with Iris? What are the other most important moments in Roy's character development as a hero/tragic hero?

Pete Rose 

1. Video
2. Article

Baseball's Gambling Scandals

Black Sox Scandal

Derek Jeter and the Curse of Age

Discussion
1. How does the letter from Iris contrast with the scene with Judge and Memo? What are we to take from this sharp contrast?
2. In what way does the American definition of a hero conflict with that of what a hero really should be?
3. Compare and contrast Iris & Roy.
4. How does blind ambition conflict with having measured values?
5. How are Roy's and Memo's dreams similar? How are they different?
6. Dream on 189. Significance?

The Natural: 103-117

From our last class ...

2. "He was conscious that he was filling Bump's shoes, not only because he batted in the clean-up slot and fielded in the sun field ... but also because the crowds made no attempt to separate his identity from Bump's," (79). In what way is Malamud commenting on a hero's place in society?

3. Can the judge see Roy clearly or is his insight conjecture? In what way do the Bible scriptures influence the reader's understanding of the Judge?

4. How do Memo, Gus, and Max help develop the character of Roy? In other words, if context helps shape our identity, what do these three characters bring out in Roy?

On to last night's reading ...

1. (110): It was a confusing proposition to want a girl you'd already had ....whether he would be in the least intereste in her today." How does this sentence model Roy's uncertainty?

2. (112): In what way does this passage change the idea of Bump as a failed hero?

3. How has the relationship between Roy and Pop evolved? How is Roy fulfilling Pop's needs? How is Pops fulfilling Roy's needs?

4. As mentioned earlier in class, Memo is to Roy as the Sirens were to Odysseus and other men. Considering this comparison, what does this reveal about Roy's true character? What does this tell us about Memo's place in the hero's cycle?

 

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Week #8: The DR influence

This is an older article from my collection of favorites, but I still enjoy it for the insight it offers. The influence of Dominican players is not to be glossed over, and as the MLB continues to struggle for professional sports supremacy (is baseball still the national pastime?), players from the DR and other parts of the Spanish speaking world will become more and more important to the success and preservation of the game. Of course, MLB must also compensate and care for all of its players equally.

What are your thoughts on the issues raised in this piece? What about those stats? DR players account for 10% of active roster players and 24% of the farm system. Not bad for such a little country.

The Natural: 76-102

Benching a Legend by Roger Kahn

1. Fair Memo: looking specifically at the first two paragraphs of last night's reading, how does Malamud characterize Memo? What does his language tell us about her role in the novel? Her role in the hero's cycle? Her role in the the Parcival legend?

2. "He was conscious that he was filling Bump's shoes, not only because he batted in the clean-up slot and fielded in the sun field ... but also because the crowds made no attempt to separate his identity from Bump's," (79). In what way is Malamud commenting on a hero's place in society?

3. What does Roy's endless pursuit of Memo reveal about his character?

4. Can the judge see Roy clearly or is his insight conjecture? In what way do the Bible scriptures influence the reader's understanding of the Judge?

5. How do Memo, Gus, and Max help develop the character of Roy? In other words, if context helps shape our identity, what do these three characters bring out in Roy?

Week #7: baseball and jobs

While not thematically linked to our reading (although I sense that Matthew or Jessie or someone will find a connection I have yet to), I love this article for the behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of a baseball player. We're not talking the big guns and the high paid stars, we're talking about the utility players, the minor and major leaguers who are in the game for the game because clearly they're not making much money.

What are your thoughts on this piece? Learn anything? Connect this to our discussions?

Keep up the good work.

The Natural: 57-75

Free write: The rookie season, what fun. Roy arrives for his first full day and his uniform has been knotted and soaked, his stockings are shredded, and much, much more. Back in 1952 when The Natural was published, hazing was a fairly common practice. Now, its illegal and quite controversial when it does happen.

Reflect on and write about a time when you were a newcomer, a rookie. Maybe it's when you joined a new team, when you arrived at a new school, or when you moved to a new neighborhood. What was it like for you as a newcomer and was there hazing involved?

Discussion

• p. 67: Roy has a dream during the hypnosis sessions with Doc Knobb. Is the dream an effectiveformat/tool for revealing Roy's shortcomings? Why? Why not?
• In what ways is Bump a failed hero? What kills Bump?
• Some literary critics assert that the Whammer, Roy and Bump are all hero's crafted in the same mold. Do you agree or disagree? If this is the case, what is Malamud telling us about heroes in society?
• What's the significance of the train?
• Roy waits for Memo & the chance to play. What do these to things have in common? What is Roy seeking from both?
• Roy's first at-bat. Read aloud. Significance of the "plummeted like a dead bird"?
• p. 79: bird imagery & warnings from Pop (what tragic flaw does Pop's warning reveal about Roy's character?)
• Role of wonderboy?

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The Natural: Batter Up! 37-56

Oakland's very own "dusty field, the listless game and half-empty stands" (37). So sad.

Batter up!

Discussion from prior reading
1. The pitches: how do the three pitches compare? where do we see the language of myth in each pitch?
2. Let's look at the final paragraph in which Harriet shoots Roy. What are we to think of Harriet? Was this expected or unexpected? Where else can we find similar language? In what way does Harriet represent the real? the myth?

Small Groups **Some literary critics have said that Malamud put a realistic man in a mythological setting. Is that fair? Has Malamud set Roy up for failure? So far, has Roy changed in the 15 years since the shooting? Be specific in your responses, please.

Last night's reading
4. The Fisher King, the wasteland
5. In what ways is Bump a failed hero?
6. What kind of person is Roy? How has he changed in 15 years and how has he stayed the same?

7. In what ways are Bump, the Whammer and Roy all variations of the same hero mold? What is Malamud telling us about heroes in society? In what way is this hero mold a commentary on gender and masculinity in 1950s America? Does this commentary still hold true today?

8. Roy waits for Memo & the chance to play. What do these to things have in common? What is Roy seeking from both?

The Natural begins ...

1952

What's going on in the world & the US? (7 mins)

• Cold War (1945-1991): political tension between Eastern Bloc countries (Soviet Union & Warsaw Pact) and Western Bloc countries (US, NATO & allies)
• Korean War (1950-1953): North Korea invaded South Korea. US supported South and supplied almost all of the international soldiers needed to fight the war against the communist north; world looks bleak.
• Second Red Scare (1947-1957): period of heightened awareness of communism and its possible influences on American politics and systems; Federal Employee Loyalty Program under Truman; Climate of terrible fear (unnecessary). Truman could have stopped all of this, but he didn't. More about his political position.
• 1949: Atomic Bomb exploded by Russia; communist revolution in China

BIG QUESTIONS: What was the political climate in the US during this time? How were those attitudes manifesting themselves in the public discourse?

 

What was going on in baseball?

• Chpt 1 & 2 (12 min), Chpt 3 @ 21:23 (Jackie Robinson), Chpt 5 (Dodger v Giants pennant race), Chpt 10
• Leaving WWII Era (1939-1949): Dimaggio, Mel Ott, Stan Musial, Hank Greenberg; integration finally happens (slowly ... all teams integrated by 1961);
• Golden Age of baseball (1950s-1965 ish): more integration; Clemente, Robinson, Aaron, Mays, Williams, Mantle, Campanella, Berra all playing;
• Williams, Greenberg, Dimaggio all serve in the military, putting careers on hold
• 1953: Boston Braves move to Milwaukee (until 1966)
• 1954: St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore (becoming the Orioles)
• 1955: Philadelphia Athletics move to KC (stay until 1968)
• 1957: Dodgers leave NYC for LA (bad idea!)

BIG QUESTIONS: How is the national pastime growing? How is it becoming more universal? How has baseball claimed and defined the American hero?

 

THE NATURAL: A converging of these two worlds. There is the celebration and excitement of the golden age of baseball set against the backdrop of worry and fear found during the Cold War. One of the major themes of this novel is the conflict between myth (baseball) and reality (living in a Cold War world).

Most titles give us an idea what the story is about, and what we will experience if we read. But some authors use titles to do more than that; some use metaphors so their titles create additional meanings.

In the world of sports, talent scouts, managers, coaches, writers and fans examine the talent of newcomers and wonder whether they will be successful. A player whose skills seem to need no training, or whose skills seem God-given, is called a natural.

In the Middle Ages (approx. 500A.D. to 1350 A.D.), the term natural referred to an idiot, a kind of foolish innocent person whom it was thought God protected.

How does Bernard Malamud use the title of the book to allude to Roy as a natural in both senses?

Discussion

1. NYTimes Book Review

2. Allegory

3. Parzival/Percival: What parallels are present?

4. Where can we see myth-making in the first section?

5. Symbols present and what might they signify?

 

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Week #6: Mariano Rivera

Staying with the hero thing ...

Mariano Rivera is considered by most to be the greatest closer of all time. But he's also a Yankee. An enemy to all. A player for the big business side of baseball. Despite that all, Mariano has garnered one of the best reputations in the sport both for his work on the field and his actions off. I bring up this article not because I am a Yankees fan, but because Mariano embodies that old stereotype of an athletic hero. That said, maybe you disagree.

Please read this article: Marian Rivera, King of the Closers and comment on how baseball insiders define a hero.

For some reading fun and to make you think WHAT?! Read this, too. It's related to Rivera.

For watching and listening enjoyment, check this out. I've watched this almost 100 times, and each time I love it. It's just that good. Still related to Rivera.

For even more watching pleasure related to (fantasy) baseball, check this out. Not related to Rivera.

Week #5: Chipper Jones

Only One Chipper

A hero retires. A franchise player ends his career. A local influence walks away. As we begin our study of The Natural, let's look at the construction of a hero. According to this article, what defines a hero in present day baseball culture?

Thanks again for your good work. I am enjoying your responses!

Weekly Post #4: More cards

The 83F Project: Sign Here, Please

Another great piece that reflects back some of the themes we've encountered thus far. And since you're working on your own baseball card project, why not read about someone else's. Write about a theme, a topic, some common point between Scott Mortimer's journey and topics we've discuss thus far.

For me, I love the line near the end when the idea of fraud is mentioned. Rather than give into that idea, Mortimer, "chooses instead to have faith." For me, baseball is the ritual, the worship, the commitment. Off the field, in the wee hours of the night, Mortimer found a faith that binds him to others. That's baseball at its best, and it transcends almost everything else in communities.

Thanks for your insights!

An added item to this week's post. The woman who was the inspiration for Geena Davis' character (Dottie) in A League of Their Own died on Saturday. Here's her obituary.

We Are the Ship: Second Half

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?
2. How would you describe the tone of this book? Ground your answer specifically to the text.

3. Did a certain negro league player stand out to you? Why?
4. Anything else?

Film ... maybe
Inning 5, Chpts 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 16, 18

Some bonus reading about baseball issues in Puerto Rico today.

We Are the Ship: First Half

A breakdown of what a baseball 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 little video
--------------
Let's get our brains working with some WRITING!

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?
-------------
Discussion
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?
------------
As time permits: Inning 5, Chpts 3, 5 & &

Weekly Post #3: The Card & Ken Griffey Jr

This piece from Sunday's NY Times has all of the trappings of baseball literature: religious overtones, myth, legend, dedication, magic, and loss. Focus on one of these themes and discuss what role it plays in not only this article but in baseball as we've learned about thus far.

**Our visitor Howard Fine will be bringing in lots of cards next week, so keep this article in mind during Howard's visit.

Another great week of postings. Thanks for your work and insight.

Bill James Historical Baseball Almanac

Some questions about the previous reading:

1. Broun is a baseball reporter, and reporters were often attributed with those exciting one-liners (or maybe two-liners) that really spoke to the excitement of the game. Looking at this piece, pick out a favorite line or two and tell me why these lines stand out. For example, I love the line, "Ward's homer was less lusty, but went in the same general direction." Good use of lusty, like it's the ball that wants to go somewhere rather than the hitter wanting the home run. Good use of personification.

some good calls to listen to
Perfect Game

2. What do you think is the most fantastic detail of Cool Papa's playing career? And why do you think so? Detail could be on or off the field.


Last night's reading:
Thoughts? Questions? Comments? Observations?

Only the Ball Was White

Who is this Branch Rickey? He's not the beginning, but he surely helped with integration.

Weekly Post #2: The Official Scorer

This is one of my favorite pieces from the last year as I learned more from this than expected! An article on the official scorer of the game, this piece looks into some of the subjectivity present in baseball. Sure there are the umps who seem to be the arbiters of the game, but the scorers are like the gatekeepers of stats.

Two questions:
1. With instant replay and so many eyes on the field these days, do you think an official scorer is still necessary? Of course there would be someone collecting balls and strikes and hits, but why put the work on one person?
2. What new piece of baseball information did you learn from this article?

Great responses to the last post. Loved the humor. Well done.

Baseball Poems

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

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

More film!!
Finish up Inning 1: (53:00-end chpt 11)
Maybe Inning 2: chpts 2-6

Weekly Post 1: The Umps

Baseball's Masked Men ShowTheir Inner Hams on Strike Three and a fun graphic!

Funny video referenced in the article.

Please respond to the following question in the comment section of this post:

1. What different roles do umpires play in a game?
2. If you were a home plate ump, what style strike-three call would you go with and why? Get creative. Heck, shoot a video of yourself, link it to this post, and we'll watch it in class. You could do an interpretive dance. Shadow puppets. I'm game for all types of creativity.

Response due by Monday January 21 at midnight (because of the holiday weekend). But for Pete's sake DO NOT stay up that late.

Ritter & Spaulding Readings

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

Welcome! Some business. Some film. Some fun.

1. Some baseball news we must talk about .... HoF Voting
2. Course intro ... fun stuff
3. What do you expect from this class? Why did you take it (be honest)?
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)