When It Was A Game
I have been a fan of the game of baseball for 25 years. I played little league baseball for Ocean View Little League in Huntington Beach, California in the early1980s, and four years of high school baseball at Ocean View High in the late
80s to the early 90s. Baseball has been an intricate part of my life ever since. While thumbing through a box in my garage the other day, I came across my old little league year book from 1984. Seeing myself in a baseball uniform at 10 years old was quite amusing. I flipped through the rest of the book, laughing at the way my family and friends dressed in the 80s. I was reminded of a quote my grandmother used to say, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” My grandmother is a huge baseball fan.
My grandmother grew up in South Central Los Angeles and used to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers play throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I distinctly remember my grandmother and I watching Kirk Gibson hit the game winning home run for the Dodgers against the Oakland A’s in the 1988 Word Series. She is a huge Dodger fan, however, since I played on the A’s in little league that year, I rooted for the A’s. To this day, my grandmother will not pass up an opportunity to remind me of who won that game.
My grandmother said to me the other day, “They don’t make them like they used to”; she was referring to the 1988 Dodger team, as opposed to the teams of today. I think she has a point to an extent; however, I can see the similarities and the differences in the game of the 80s and the sport it has become in the new millennium.
The game has changed in some ways, but for the most part, it has stayed the same.
The rules are the same as in the 80s. It is still 90feet to first base, 60 foot 6 inches from the pitchers mound to home plate, and you still only get three strikes and four balls.
Today, you can still go to the ballpark and get a soda, peanuts, Cracker Jacks, cotton candy, and a hot dog, just like when I was a kid in the 80’s. You can still go to the game early and see the teams take batting practice, and if your lucky, get an autograph or two.
On July 27 1959, A new York attorney named William shea had an idea of putting a new baseball team in new York since the dodgers and giants had left for california.So on march 1st 1961 His wish was granted.The new York metropolitan baseball club or “the new York mets” were introduced into the national league.The name of the team was chosen by owner Joan Payson.The other names that were put into thought were the rebels, skyliners, nybs and avengers just to name a few.On April 11,1962 the mets played their first game in franchise history and lost 11-4 to the St Louis cardinals.The first season was a miserable one.Manager Casey Stengel led the mets to a 62-100 record,The worst record in major league history.After a couple of more losing seasons, The mets finally made a move and signed pitcher Tom “the franchise”Seaver,one of the best pitchers who ever played the game. They also picked up power hitting outfielders Donn Clendenon and Tommie Agee. Finally the mets looked like a baseball team.Entering the 1969 season, my father said the mets wewr 160-1 to win the World Series, but the mets shocked everyone winning the national league championship. Now, this is how the mets won their first world series, The batter was cleon Jones, after striking out manager Gil Hodges notices a black mark on the ball. The black mark was shoe polish. Putting shoe polish on the ball makes it spin more and makes it much easier to strike out a batter.
In 1951, the Yanks continued to enjoy success. However, as they welcomed in rookie newcomer Mickey Mantle, they lost Joe DiMaggio to retirement and Whitey Ford to the military for two years of service. With Ford off fighting the war, the pitching staff as a whole lowered the team ERA by more than half a run per game and also doubled th...
World Series Overview | MLB.com: History. (n.d.). Major League Baseball. Retrieved January 21, 2014, from http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws.jsp?feature=club_champs
Nemec, David, and Saul Wisnia. 100 Years of Baseball. Lincolonwood, Ill.: Publications International, 2002, Print.
1910 to 1920 was the one of the greatest decades for Major League Baseball. Many amazing events occurred during this decade; although, some devastating and extremely sad events also occurred. Half of these years were taken up by war, even many Hall of Fame players served. This decade still ended up being a great one for Major League Baseball. From Hall of Fame greats to Negro League pitchers, this decade produced greats. The 1910’s also set up the 1920’s for amazing players too.
In terms of racial inequality in baseball there have been many eras of integration. Baseball originally is seen as America’s national game belonging to the white men of America. However, throughout history there have been steps taken in recognizing and integrating those groups deemed “less favorable” by the American community. These groups include German immigrants, Irish immigrants, African Americans, Latinos, Native Hawaiians, Native Americans, and Asians. America used the game of baseball as a tool to indoctrinate the American ideals and values of teamwork, working hard, and collaborating for the greater good into the cultures of the “uncivilized world.” These groups used baseball as a medium to gain acceptance into the American community as racially equal counterparts.
forging Hall of Fame careers. The Cincinnati Reds, on the other hand, had its share of stars,
As in all areas of social culture, African Americans denied of a shared walk through baseball history with whites turned to making their own history on the playing diamond of an ever-changing America. " African Americans recognized that they had the talent to throw and catch round horsehide objects almost as soon as t...
On the plane ride home and in the airport I was still thinking about the game.The Carolina Panthers had blown out the Buccaneers by 30 points! Cam Newton scored 3 touchdowns himself! I was still excited about the whole game until I fell asleep in the
At its height the Negro Baseball League teams competed in World Series and the elite had the chance to compete in All-Star games. The East-West All-Star game, hosted by Negro Leagues, soon became a tradition at Chicago's Comiskey Park. The game was played annually, and soon contributed greatly to the ever-growing national popularity of Negro League baseball during the 1930’s. Gus Greenlee conceived the idea of the Negro League All-Star Game in 1933 and the game quickly became black baseball's most popular attraction. The game showed off the Negro Leagues best talent from each region and regularly packed Cominsky Park. In contrast to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the Negro league version made it a tradition to play at the same venue every year, generating camaraderie and a sense of pride.
Addona, Dan D’. "SABR." Baseball's Forgotten Era: The '80s. N.p., 2011. Web. 13 May 2014. .
Since the sport first emerged, baseball and America have shared the same values, responded to the same events, and struggled with the same social and economic issues. To learn of the ideals concerning the sport of baseball in America, is to know the heart and mind of America. Baseball developed before the Civil War but did not achieve professional status until the 1870s (The Baseball Glove, 2004). In 1871, the National Association of Professional Baseball Players was formed. Unfortunately, the organization ran into financial hardships and was abandoned in 1875.
Nemee, David. “100 Years of Major League Baseball.” Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications Infernational, Ltd, 200. Print.
Baseball remains today one of America’s most popular sports, and furthermore, baseball is one of America’s most successful forms of entertainment. As a result, Baseball is an economic being of its own. However, the sustainability of any professional sport organization depends directly on its economic capabilities. For example, in Baseball, all revenue is a product of the fans reaction to ticket prices, advertisements, television contracts, etc. During the devastating Great Depression in 1929, the fans of baseball experienced fiscal suffering. The appeal of baseball declined as more and more people were trying to make enough money to live. There was a significant drop in attention, attendance, and enjoyment. Although baseball’s vitality might have seemed threatened by the overwhelming Great Depression, the baseball community modernized their sport by implementing new changes that resulted in the game’s survival.
I started playing baseball right after I moved to Virginia, coming from California. At first I wasn’t that good, because I was only six years old at that time, but it was okay, because the other six-year old were not much better than me. It was the first time I was to play a sport, and it turned out to be my only sport later in