Weekly Post #12: Drugs & Alcohol in 1986 (due April 23)

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?

Weekly Post #11: Spanish speaking reporter? (April 9)

You would think this story wouldn't really be a story, but it is. Why is this a story? Why aren't more reporters covering baseball able to speak Spanish or willing to engage in the players' first language? And peruse the comment section. People say the wackiest stuff. What are your thoughts on this non-story being a story and the topic in general? Should MLB do more to help players express themselves?

Weekly Post #10: Sean Doolittle (due March 19)

Not going to lie, I was thrilled to see this piece in the NYTimes about Sean Doolittle, a pitcher from the A's, last year. 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 your 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.

Weekly Post #8: Mo'ne Davis (due Mar 12)

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 to 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.

Weekly Post #7: Athletes & Politics (due Mar 6)

This one is from the most recent edition of the NYT Magazine: Should Athletes Stick to Sports?

While it isn't focused on baseball, I thought it was interesting. Got me thinking about Jackie Robinson and his activism. What are your thoughts on the intersection of sports and politics?

Weekly Post #6: Baseball in Africa (Due Feb 20)

A good read from a while ago. 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?

Weekly Post #5: The Lure of Baseball in the DR (due Feb 12)

Keeping our reading to the Caribbean, here's a complementary piece about baseball in the Dominican Republic. How are 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 your thoughts?

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?

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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?

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?

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?