Baseball America’s National pastime Essay Example

instance, the NCAA implemented reforms for football in 1905/6. Similarly, the interlocking ownership issues in baseball during the 1890s were resolved with the creation of the American League. This marked a significant milestone in the official recognition and advancement of baseball as a sport.

NL players' participations and the expansion of franchising to various cities demonstrate that people across the country started to embrace it. The methodology of this paper involves studying various literature and case studies. Through analyzing primary and secondary sources, the paper will draw a conclusion on whether the popularity of this favorite pastime originated from the choice of the masses or the development of the Progressive Era. The Progressive Era was a time of reformation, during which American society went through cultural changes. The reformers' objectives were to make American society more efficient, moral, just, equitable, and capable of fulfilling America's "manifest destiny".

The modern athletic sports were seen as a means to achieve the goal of reforming society. However, there was uncertainty about whether these sports would actually bring about the desired changes or if they would harm agricultural life. Therefore, the focus was on diverting the attention of the masses and integrating cultural values. Baseball, which was popular among average families, quickly gained popularity due to the prevalence of farm workers. The ideological objectives included promoting society's health, fostering stability, and instilling order and discipline in mass institutions.

The emergence of baseball fields and stadiums highlighted the social culture and became a central point for community development. With baseball being the preferred recreational activity, leaders focused on promoting it. The formation of the National League solidified baseball as a symbol of the

nation's game, but this achievement was not easily attained.

There was a conflict between football, basketball, and baseball, with women's tennis also vying for attention. Football, basketball, and baseball were more advanced due to the influence of British colonial culture. Meanwhile, baseball, which originated from colored people, was still in its early stages. The controversial decision to adopt baseball as the national game favored the average white, middle-class or urban man. However, during the Progressive Era, the typical baseball player was a colored Cuban who was considered socially disadvantaged and untrainable due to lack of education and upbringing.

The game's progress was hindered by nostalgic themes and personal financial concerns, leading owners to adopt unfair practices like reserve clauses, blacklisting, and limiting franchise territories. These practices aimed at maintaining a consistent roster, building fan loyalty, and preserving the local flavor of the game. However, they violated anti-trust laws and restricted players' economic power. Owners strongly opposed innovations such as night games, radio broadcasts, and the inclusion of African-American players. Nevertheless, baseball continued to be viewed as a spirited civic endeavor despite corruption issues like leniency towards those involved in the 1919 Black Sox scandal.

Destroyed by a fire on April 14, 1911, the Polo Grounds, home field of the New York Giants in the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, was later rebuilt with steel and concrete to improve the experience for baseball fans. This reconstruction symbolized the lasting impact of baseball in an American city. Between 1908 and 1915, several stadiums, including the Polo Grounds, underwent a transition from wooden structures to ones made of steel and concrete.

Prior to the rise of permanent concrete and steel facilities,

Hilltop Park in New York served as an example of the condition of ballparks. These wooden ballparks had smaller capacities compared to more modern stadiums like the Polo Grounds. The reason for this lower capacity was that professional major league baseball was still relatively new in 1903, having started in the 1860s. In the 1890s, only a few sports such as basketball and volleyball were played at educational institutions like the YMCA in Springfield, Mass., leading to a debate about which game would promote patriotism.

Baseball, a game adored nationwide and enjoyed by people regardless of location, stands out as a universally appreciated sport across the country. While basketball and volleyball only have limited popularity in certain states, baseball's appeal is evident everywhere. In an era when people had more free time for leisure activities, a new social class emerged, which saw professional athletes gaining priority to join the National League. This preference favored white males over players of color with the goal of establishing a connection between audiences and players on the field. Consequently, modern sports expanded beyond just the middle class. The widespread popularity of baseball among a broader American audience was further highlighted during World War I (1918-9).

The urban and middle class reformers promoted the adoption of athletic sports as the norm. They pushed for changes and advancements in games, aiming to align them with the preferences and values of white Americans. These reformers introduced regulations that resulted in more proficient players, organized game schedules, and disciplined audiences. These improvements mirrored the development of society beyond the realm of sports.

The construction of new ballparks symbolized the rise of major league baseball as

a lucrative business, separate from the world of business. However, the appeal of baseball as a spectator sport, the new owners discovered, lay in its ability to provide an escape from the business world and evoke the nostalgia of childhood play and leisurely sports. Interestingly, as baseball became more associated with leisure and a break from urban life, it also became a sought-after spectacle that provided emotional upliftment and social desirability for the attendees, known as "cranks" and "bugs" (later referred to as "fans"). Despite being seen as a form of entertainment for profit from its early days, baseball was regarded as a more captivating spectacle compared to other forms of entertainment like circuses, operas, or plays.

It used to evoke romantic notions of the countryside and peaceful pastures, even though it took place in a city. Nowadays, the increasing number of professional sports and TV channels is another obstacle for baseball to regain its popularity in America. The deep connections between fans, which were initially established by spending afternoons and evenings listening to their team on the radio, are disappearing rapidly. Younger fans now switch channels, combining a few innings of the superstation's game with the World Wrestling Federation or their favorite evening soap opera.

Both men's and women's football and basketball have higher television ratings compared to baseball.