Rader's Baseball Chapter Summary

Baseball is a sport that has been glorified and challenged since its fabrication in the 19th century. Baseball is a novel that analyzes and explains many of the defining and key moments of the sport's history that have shaped it into the game it is today. Rader's argument is that baseball is America's game, and like America's people, will stand the test of time. Rader reveals the struggles that have persisted to threaten the game's very existence and spectacular moments of the game that have brought America's people together. Rader also examines the impact and effect of the game's and America's heroes, such as Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, and Roberto Clemente, that have defined what it means to be American, broken barriers, and changed the game

forever.

In Baseball, Rader references a variety of different newspaper articles and letters from various time periods for perspectives, a collection of images to serve as visual representation, and websites to account for the numerous statistics included throughout this piece. An example of this occurs when Rader is explaining one of the biggest scandals in baseball's history, the big fix. Amidst a time when players were not paid nearly what they are now, and owners set the precedent for players contracts and salaries, Rader investigates the perspective of a current player for Cincinnati. Fred Toney in a letter using explicit language to the owner said, "I see you want to give me a good fucking, but I'll pick shit with the chickens before I'll play for any less" (111). This example strengthens Rader's thesis by showing that players would stand up for themselves and protest an injustice they feel has been made against them, which is very much an American ideology and right. Another example from the book happens when Rader cites Robert Yoder in the Saturday Evening Post, Give'em a cud of tobacco, and these female softball players would look just like their big- league brothers" (175). This statement by Yoder was made in 1943 in the middle of a baseball crisis because of a shortage of players from World War II. Women becoming a prominent and important role in society for America during this time translated into the baseball/softball world as well. This example also strengthens Rader's thesis because it shows how gender roles and significance in society are changing in America, along with America's game.

Rader wrote Baseball to easily be understood thematically, rather than chronologically.

For example, each chapter would address and focus on a central topic, but the period could end after the period that the next chapter would start, resulting in some overlap from chapter to chapter. This made it difficult to read while trying to keep up chronologically, but thematically very easy. Rader even refers the reader to previous or future chapter of the book when covering and explaining a topic to further reveal his focus. It is obvious that Rader's intentions were to explain each topic fully and together, instead of just chronological. Overall, Rader does a good job of explaining the importance of each topic in fullness, while being able to keep the book in a sense of chronological

order.

I wished that Rader would have gone into more detail about the non-professional aspect of baseball, and the impact it had on many Americans growing up. In regard to the non-professional baseball players in this book, Rader focused on the perspective of baseball for these people as an audience, as opposed to players in their childhood. While the book briefly mentions non-professional baseball in sandlot and little leagues, Rader never goes into much depth on the topic. Baseball was not just a game for professional athletes to play and average citizens to watch. For many growing up, and even in adulthood, it could serve as an escape from the real world, an opportunity for a better life, or just something to relax and have fun doing. Rader could have used examples of this perspective in the book, which would allow a much larger audience of readers to be able to relate to it, in ways such as kids playing a pick-up game in their neighborhood, playing catch for the first time with their dad, or what it meant to a kid to receive their first baseball mitt on Christmas or their birthday. This could have enhanced Rader's thesis because baseball was much more than simply a game played by professionals for entertainment. Baseball is a game that has dug its roots and ingrained itself into American society and has touched every American citizen in one way or another.

I would recommend this book to any baseball fan out there.

Whether a fan that occasionally watches a game or an avid one that holds season tickets every year for their favorite team, there is something for every type of fan to learn from this book. Spanning from the mid 19th century to the present 21st century, Rader covers every era of baseball that is known to date. Rader analyzes and explains each major turning point and outcome of a revolutionary decision that this game has made, while providing an in depth look at the people or ideology during that time that had influence in shaping the game. This book exemplifies the famous quote, made by current star second baseman Robinson Cano, that is popular among many baseball fans today, "You never stop learning. You learn something new every day." Reading this book does just that as Rader tackles a wide range of baseball history with plenty of facts and statistics, while also debunking and identifying famous baseball folklore and

myths.