INTD 333 - Baseball in Literature and Film

Baseball has been linked to the American way of life since the country began. At Valley Forge a soldier reported playing a game of ball. During the Civil War, the game occasionally overcame differences between the Blue and the Gray. In the late 1800s it helped unite rural America, while in the decade after World War I, its greatest star symbolized the roaring twenties. During World War II, the season continued at the urging of a president; just a few years later Jackie Robinson took the first steps down the path later followed by Martin Luther King. In recent decades it has taken on a global aspect with numerous players from other countries and cultures contributing to the nature and quality of the game.

Baseballs contributions have occurred not only at the societal level, but on an individual level as well. Millions of young men (and now women) have learned about the importance of rules, fair play, and the benefits of hard work by playing baseball. In Britain leaders may have been molded on the playing fields of Eton; in the United States this process began on the Elysian fields of Hoboken, New Jersey, in June 1846. The game itself is democratic: anyone can play, regardless of size, and each side gets its turn at bat. As Earl Weaver pointed out, You cant run the ball into the line until the clock runs out. Or in the words of the great Yogi, The game isnt over til its over.

This course, then, will examine the development of baseball and its relation to American society. We will read The Glory of Their Times by Lawrence Ritter and selections of other significant works such as Eight Men Out by Elliot Asinof, Baseballs Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy by Jules Tygiel, Babe: the Legend Comes to Life by Robert Creamer, Money Ball by Michael Lewis and other books and articles dealing with various aspects of the game. We will view movies such as Bull Durham, Eight Men Out, The Natural, Field of Dreams, A League of Their Own, Money Ball, Trouble with the Curve, Pride of the Yankees and several documentaries. The course will include short papers, a book presentation, and two exams.

4 credits