Charlie Campbell
Professor Travis
History 206 C
9 April 2003
Baseball, More Than a Game Every spring, from New York to San Francisco, from Seattle to Miami, a new season begins. The ball clubs are coming north, and America’s Pastime will return the boys of summer to cities across the nation. Baseball, America’s sport, is entertainment, but it is also so much more. Baseball is America, and the two are forever linked. The demonstration of the feeling between baseball and it’s fans can be told by the storied voice of Hall of Fame announcer, Ernie Harwell (click sound on left). From grassroots foundations behind the lines of the Union Army, to a rallying point of America during World War II, to the evils of segregation, and more recently a sign of American prosperity, baseball has reflected American society.
Baseball is an American game. Modern day baseball’s invention is attributed to Abner Doubleday. Although versions of the game had been played in various locations around the world, Doubleday is accredited as being the first person to write down the rules of the game. In addition to being dubbed the creator of baseball, Doubleday also served as a lieutenant in the Union Army, before and during the Civil War. Doubleday was part of the garrison that manned Fort Sumter, the place where hostilities first began. After his reassignment from Sumter, baseball quickly became a past time of many Union soldiers. The game was simple to set up and could be played almost anywhere when a significant amount of players could be found. Baseball was popularized by its play during the Civil War. In a way, baseball spread throughout the nation as a result of a horrific war that led to deep division within the nation. Later, that spread and division would be a unifying force in American society.
During World War II, America’s men left the country to fight the enemies of the country. In many communities women went into the workplace to replace those men. Many companies promoted women in the workplace by popularizing the figure of “Rosie the Riveter.” Rosie, a name given to all women who choose to enter the workforce during the war, was something of a national hero, helping to power the American war machine while at the same time tending to a household. This played a key role in the nation’s pastime, baseball. Baseball was also plagued by a shortage of “workers” at the time. Many Major League players enlisted in the armed services. Ted Williams, the star left fielder of the Boston Red Sox is a prime example. Williams spent one tour of duty during World War II flying in the Pacific theater fighting the imperial forces of Japan. With a shortage of quality male talent, profit minded club owners started a woman’s baseball league. Very large profits were to be found in the entertainment industry. The nation was geared for wartime production. Wages were high, however the consumer goods that were available in the 1920's were not being produced. In addition, rationing of other goods led to a surplus of consumer dollars. With this money, people were led to quality entertainment, leading the owners to start such a league of women. These women faced many of the same challenges of balancing household work and a job. The situation that these women found themselves in is portrayed in the movie, “A League of Their Own.” The trend toward entertainment, and the flight of men to the war, caused baseball to reflect the economic and patriotic realities of society.
Although Jackie Robinson broke into baseball in 1947, baseball was still a highly segregated institution. Baseball resembled most other societal functions, African Americans in one place, whites in another. Some of the Negro Leagues best players never saw a Major League pitch. Great players such as Josh Gibson, who is said to be the true home run king, spent their entire lives playing professional ball, but never made it to the Major Leagues. Satchel Paige had to pitch well past normal retirement age to spend years in the big leagues. Paige spent six years in Major League Baseball, he retired at the age of forty-eight. Although it took mainstream American society almost until the 1970's to fully integrate, baseball broke with tradition and had achieved almost total integration by 1950. The legacy of Robinson, Paige, and Gibson, mark a point in time where baseball broke from it’s long held reflection of society in terms of segregation.
Recently, baseball has become a reflection of the economic wealth. The 1990's saw tremendous economic growth. The Dow Jones’ Industrial Average skyrocketed to unprecedented heights. In 1990 the Dow Jones Industrials Average was at 2633.66 as compared to 1999 when the average closed out at 11,497.10. In the 90's baseball also prospered, becoming a multibillion dollar industry and generating tremendous economic opportunity for almost all involved. The leading figure in this was the average salary of a Major League Baseball Player. The average salary went from $578,930 in 1990 to $1,720,050 in 1999. More recently, the American economy has gone into recession. The results of a slow down in capital investment combined with the September 11th attacks have caused a downturn in the American economy. This downturn can also be seen in the economics of baseball. The free agent market in the winter of 2002-03 saw many players taking significant pay cuts. Kenny Rogers, a successful left handed pitcher for the Texas Rangers was offered five million dollars a year to resign with the Rangers. Rogers, holding out for more money declined the offer. Just before the start of the season, having not received any other offers, Rogers signed for two million dollars with the Minnesota Twins. In other instances, some players continue to benefit from contracts that were signed during peak times, when talent was expensive. Most player signed to such contracts continue to produce, such as the Rangers’ Alex Rodriguez, who is making twenty-five million dollars a year, however, other players do not. The most recent examples are Greg Vaughn of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Damion Easley of the Detroit Tigers. Both player were owed multi-million dollars over the next year. However, these teams choose to release them from their contracts. This is similar of the downsizing of American business. Many businesses release their higher paid employees to create payroll flexibility. This leads to increased unemployment rates. Currently the American economy is saddled with such burdens.
Baseball at its very best is a pure American game. A game that, by some, is considered comparable to a religion. In a way, peoples lives flow up and down with the game, just as the game flows up and down as a reflection of American society.

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