Essay on A Brief History of America’s National Pastime

An article in the Babe Ruth Central website tells the story which took place in game three of the World Series in Chicago’s Wrigley Field. The New York Yankees were up two games to none on the Chicago Cubs. In the fifth inning, with the score tied four-four, many of the nearly 50,000 fans, and even players in the Chicago dugout, began taunting and heckling the batter. What happened next went down in baseball history as one of the most famous and controversial at-bats. The batter was none other than Babe Ruth, who, with two strikes and two balls, stepped out of the batters box and gestured toward the outfield as if to show where he was going to hit the ball. Ruth hits the next pitch over the wall in center field for a home run. Many people†¦show more content†¦Terry Bluett in â€Å"Baseball and the Civil War† explains prior to the war, baseball was a game only played in the New York area. Those who played the game and went off to war began to teach their fellow soldiers how to play. Soldiers of all ranks participated in playing baseball in their camps and were even promoted by generals because it greatly improved the morale within the camps (Bluett). Another jump in popularity took place during World War II. Many players at the time went off to war, which may have contributed to the statistically lower level of play. However, President Roosevelt wanted the game to continue through the war to give the American people a constant in their everyday life. The 1945 season saw an all-time high attendance and was the last year of the war (Corso). In the subsequent 50 years, baseball has had a steady increase. The MLB has seen their gross income skyrocket recently earning $8 billion in 2013. A $6.6 billion increase from the 1995 season even though there has been a slight drop in kids and adults playing the sport in the last ten years. This data may show that baseball has lessened its popularity among the younger demographic, possibly because of the ir short attention spans (Bickley). Baseball’s popularity in the future may be a topic for debate, but what is known for sure is that baseball has been a very popular sport in this country for the past 150 years and has been a large contributor to American culture. As the popularityShow MoreRelatedA Brief History of America’s National Pastime679 Words   |  3 PagesAccording to a passage in the 19th Century Baseball website, author Eric Miklich writes that America’s pastime may have originated in Canada. Miklich tells the story of Dr. Adam E. Ford who wrote a letter about a game which had been played in 1838 which was described to have several key differences than baseball. Many people believe that baseball evolved from games played in England- mainly cricket and rounders. Others believe the German game of town ball is where it all started. 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The historical development of sportsRead MoreSports17363 Words   |  70 Pages Introduction Conceived as a supplement to Sportscasters/Sportscasting: Principles and Practices, this collection of exercises adds to the pedagogical mix. Following the outline of a broad approach to understanding the topic—which includes the history, economics, audience, media, sociology, practicality, and future concerns of sports and sportscasting, it has this general outline: Chapter l. Introduction to the study of sportscasters and sportscasting Chapter 2. The historical development of sportsRead MoreComparison Fo Marketing Strategies of HM and Splash3684 Words   |  15 Pagesgiving the brief overview about the two companies and further proceed to analyse each of their brand positioning, pricing , promotion, e-marketing etc. After the explanation and analysis of each strategy we will proceed to suggest recommendations for improving their strategies. 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