Take me out to the crowd,
Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks,
I don’t care if I ever get back,
For it’s root, root, root for the home team,
If they don’t win it’s a shame
For it’s one. Two….No need to finish this familiar song - we all know how it ends! Baseball is a favorite American pastime, and its influence is engraved in American society. Some people say baseball is only a game, but through in-depth analysis it is evident that baseball is a double-headed institution of business and teaching, which make it more than just a game.
Let's get down to business: baseball is business. Through multi-party involvement in processes such as player contracts, free agency, endorsement signings, and merchandise sales, baseball prostrates itself to the world of business. The separate entities within baseball, known mainly as the owners and players, are the primary business parties in baseball. Baseball has not only led to business within baseball but also outside of baseball as third party businesses leech off of baseball’s success. They use it as a foundational stepping stone to build their own financial empires separate from baseball. Third party businesses are those that are unaffiliated with baseball. The third party businesses referred to are primarily those that have some type of connection to baseball. Baseball is entangled in a web of economic matters, and there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The roles of and connections between each of these parties is clearly business.
Major League Baseball functions, in part, as a financial operation. In 1869, the Cincinnati Reds introduced this system to baseball when they began paying their players; therefore, they are considered the first professional baseball team (Bellis 1). Their level of play at that time was not necessarily better than their opponents; but, because they paid their players and their opponents did not, the Reds were considered a professional baseball team. This created a drastic change in the landscape of the sport, and soon afterwards other teams followed suit. “Professional baseball soon spread throughout the country,” according to Mike Michaelson, a writer for the Chicago Daily Herald. The 1869 Reds changed baseball for generations to come.
Today, professionals excel above most others in their respective occupations. Many occupations contain both professional and amateur levels of performance, with the professional level being superior. In 1869, a professional baseball player simply meant a paid player because few other baseball players received wages at that time. When the Cincinnati Reds began paying their players, they introduced professionalism to baseball; however, there was no guarantee that professionalism would bring a better quality of play to the game. The correlation was strong that this would happen though. Most players obviously wanted to play for the team that paid the most money, so the Reds had an advantage on the rest of baseball since they were the only team that paid their players. This allowed them to choose from a large pool of players. It is no wonder then, that they chose the best players because they wanted the best team. The best players across America soon filled professional baseball as other teams followed suit. This caused the division between Major League and Minor League Baseball. While Minor League Baseball was not necessarily bad, Major League Baseball was almost certainly better. The leagues that paid more money attracted more players and the first Major League, known as the National League, sprouted up. According to 1919blacksox.com, a website dedicated to the 1919 Black Sox that knows much about baseball history, “After changing its name to the American League in 1899, the A.L. would officially become a Major League in 1901.” After this second Major League developed, the two leagues joined together to form what is now known as Major League Baseball. The Minor Leagues became a place of development. Hence, from the process started in 1869 by the Cincinnati Reds, one saw the beginnings of the business side of the game that one knows today.
Today, baseball has progressed even further in the business side of things by instituting free agency. This process gives players freedom to negotiate contracts by restricting owner tyranny; it also keeps the landscape of baseball continually fresh and changing, which improves fan attention and guards from a monotone roster. In 1919, The Chicago White Sox became known as the infamous Black Sox, while playing a preliminary role in the development of free agency. By that time, professional baseball had completely changed into a business through the guidance of the 1869 Cincinnati Reds. Unlike today though, owners were the controlling power and players were paid meager wages and treated like slaves. They had no say over their contracts and could not change teams in search of the best offer; this was called contract jumping and was illegal (1919blacksox.com 1). Without help from the government, players were left to suffer the fate of owners’ decisions regarding their contracts. At that time, the formerly known White Sox were quite possibly the best team in baseball, and no one could compete with them. Many people believed they would win the World Series. In fact, that explains why the White Sox became known as the Black Sox. Dan Sewell, a writer for the Associated Press says, “The 1919 World Series is known historically for the Black Sox Scandal, the exile of eight Chicago White Sox players from baseball for conspiring with gamblers…” Tired of being paid unreasonably low wages, nine players (it was later determined eight) on the 1919 White Sox team decided they could make more money by throwing the World Series, so they lost purpose. Sewell goes on to say, “…they were heavily favored to win.” Therefore, the gambling odds were stacked in their favor because they were expected to win. If this were not true the whole event may have never happened; but, because they were considered much better than their opponent, certain men approached them about throwing the game. One-by-one, nine players agreed to throw the game. Soon after loosing the World Series, they were caught and banned from baseball. This event helped in the push for free agency. Today, players negotiate for enormous contracts. Furthermore, free agency has led the way for professional agents, another occupation, to enter the market. Now, professional agents work hard to negotiate gigantic contracts for some of the world’s best athletes. Clearly, through interactions between owners, players, and professional agents, baseball truly is a business in an American capitalist society.
Additionally, outside businesses use baseball to get where they want to be. By producing Major League Baseball affiliated merchandise, player endorsers, and using combination of the two, third party businesses tie themselves into professional baseball’s own little economy. Some stores will produce items to sell to the general public with Major League Baseball and player logos, designs, implications, and icons. Many businesses will also sign professional baseball players to massive endorsement deals in order to connect their product to a celebrity who is well known by the public, such as Derek Jeter. Holly Sanders, a writer for the New York Post, says, “Jeter's roster of endorsement deals includes Nike, Gatorade, Ford and Steiner Sports memorabilia.” Derek Jeter is a successful baseball player who is well known and has a spotless public image. This, similar player endorsed schemes, is designed to increase sales for the business. While many businesses only choose to have players endorse a general product, some businesses will produce products that are specifically related to baseball and sign player endorsers who symbolize the product. Through this economic activity involved within the game of baseball, one can see that each of these sides compete against each other, while working with one another to achieve a communal goal. If these items are being consumed at such a massive rate, clearly baseball is important to the American society; but, it continues to validate the claim that baseball is a business.
As one can see, baseball’s connection with business can be very complicated and overwhelming. Most people would agree that business is not a game, and without a doubt, baseball is a business, thus baseball is more than a game.
Baseball also teaches lessons of life. Virtue, hard work, and focused determination, are three important lessons to be learned from the game of baseball. Virtue is neglected in much of American society today, yet it can be found in baseball. Not all coaches, players, or teams are subjected to this value, but one cannot belittle the virtuous character taught and displayed by players and coaches alike. Peter Diaz, a Christian who is a teacher and baseball coach, has learned from past mistakes, and wants to teach his players to avoid them (Haines 1). Baseball has classy teachers. Andy Lopez, a successful baseball coach and virtuous Christian, is another classy coach. He says, “I insist that we also show humility, class, and compassion.” Even if players do not have such virtuous coaches, virtue can be learned from the game of baseball itself because it is a training station. Life is what someone makes of it, and if someone wants to be virtuous, he can be virtuous. Baseball can be a great training tool to help players develop this value, and it also provides a place for this value to become a characteristic in a person’s life.
Many moral dilemmas occur in baseball that force players to make ethical decisions. James 1: 2-4 In the New American Standard Bible says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” By displaying class in all circumstances, such as accepting the umpires call, acting with sportsmanship, and forming healthy relationships with opponents, teammates, coaches, management, and media members, players can trandescend the world’s level of virtue. They have an opportunity to display compassion and love to all those around them, and baseball proves to be a steppingstone of opportunities for this to happen.
Overall, virtue is seeking to do things for more than self-gain, according to Lopez:
I want to be in the group of coaches who are driven to be successful yet are driven to do things right, driven to develop young athletes into solid citizens later in life. Yes, I want to win another national title, but my value as a father, husband, Christian, and coach is not a direct result of winning 40 games every year. I hope I can teach that to my athletes. (8)
Virtue is very prevalent in Lopez’s baseball program. Similar to other tasks, baseball proves to have many opportunities for players to learn to be virtuous through its teachings.
Some people argue that professional baseball players lack morals. If this were true there would be no virtue in baseball. This is a legitimate argument, and, in part, it is true. Today, more-and-more professional baseball players are suspended for steroid use, and it is a commonly held belief that many are still getting away with it. Additionally, many players are derailed for making too much money. These are valid arguments, but one cannot judge many based on a few. This is an American pastime, so it should include the ideals of American society. In America people are considered innocent until proven guilty. Therefore, it is not fair to say that baseball or the players within it do not have virtue. Furthermore, baseball is not limited to one league, such as professional baseball; from games in the sandlot to Little League Baseball to Major League Baseball, it is enjoyed by many. To say that steroids are present in Little League Baseball across America is ridiculous! Moreover, because baseball is wide spread, it discards the argument that ballplayers make too much money to be virtuous. This is a popular criticism of professional athletes, but it does not reflect the whole. Not only do all baseball players below the professional level not get paid, but many baseball teams and players rise above this claim. It is common to see baseball teams and players volunteer to help a better cause than their own wallets or time. In fact, a children’s baseball team from California is dedicated to this. “The opportunity to be a positive role model in kids’ lives has Corona excited about becoming involved with the North Coast Cannons, a competitive club team for 9- and 10-year-olds that blends learning baseball fundamentals with community service,” says Gigi Alford. Virtue can be seen in many ballplayers from all levels of play; if society is willing to keep an open mind and reject being skeptical of every aspect of baseball players’ lives they will notice this.
Baseball is demanding in many ways, and it takes hard work to keep up. With a few games a week and practices in between every game, baseball consumes time, and it can be easy for one to fall behind in other areas of life. Baseball’s life struggles, though, teach people the old American value of hard work. Through physical and mental struggles, players develop a sound work ethic. Physically, the strain on players’ bodies can be heavy. Practices are tough and games are worse. The burden of the work load is great and injuries are prevalent. Baseball may not seem as tough as football, but it is no cake walk either. Through the mountains and valleys of the season, emotions can run high causing pressure to mount. When players make mistakes they sometimes experience a natural instinct to give up, but baseball teaches them to persevere (Lopez 28). This is an important lesson and one well learned. The mental aspect of the game may be the toughest. Chad Corona says, “I want to impress on these kids that physically you can be ready, but you have to be there mentally.” When the season drags on and confidence staggers players can get discouraged. If a negative attitude prevails it keeps getting worse and worse until the player cannot handle it anymore. Therefore, it is crucial that players learn to be mentally sound in respect to baseball. Baseball is not easy but it is worthwhile. The physical and mental hard work ethic baseball teaches can help players succeed in many areas of life.
Additionally, baseball strengthens the mental approach of players by teaching them to be focused. The season can be long and rigorous because it is mentally demanding. For players to make it through the season they need to remain focused on the present and keep things in perspective.
The first key to remaining focused is keeping ones mind on the present situation. Worrying is human nature, and planning for the future is encouraged in American society; unfortunately, it can be easy to mix these two things together. When that happens, people are constantly thinking about what will happen tomorrow, but they forget about living out today. In Matthew 6: 34 of the New American Standard Bible Jesus addresses this problem when He says, “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Sometimes, however, worrying seems inevitable as the anxiousness of future events can lead to it; while other times it is simply old habit that causes people to revert to this symptom. It is a problem either way.
People’s minds constantly wander, and, unfortunately, baseball players are not immune to this, but they are taught to overcome it. Coach Andy Lopez says:
I want to teach my athletes not to be double minded. This philosophy works well off the field, too. If someone wants to be an athlete, he should not confuse the issues. When he shows up for practice, he should be an athlete. When he’s in the classroom, he should be a student. When he’s on a date, he should focus on his relationship with the other person. For about two or three hours every day during practice, I demand that all players and coaches be completely focused. As a coach, I must also separate my work and family times – and be absorbed in each when the time calls for it. (8)
Lopez is not the only person who teaches this, baseball itself also demands it. There are 162 games in the Major League Baseball regular season, and as one can imagine it is tough to remain focused throughout the season. However, if players cannot learn to do this, they will not succeed in baseball. Lopez believes, “Baseball is a game designed for failure. The participants in the game of baseball are destined to fail…They will fail.” If players worry too much about past or future failures, they will not be prepared to succeed in the future. Lopez combats this by teaching his players that it is “rebounding from failure” that counts. Once again, baseball teaches players to improve their ability to stay mentally focused on the tasks at hand.
The second key to remaining focused is keeping things in perspective. Andy Lopez believes people need to set their priorities straight. He says, “The game is trivial relative to the bigger issues of life, trivial in the sense that it cannot consume you at the sacrifice of other important aspects of your life.” There are many addicts and addictions in the world, and if baseball were just a game it could become an addiction to many fans and players alike; but baseball is more than a game – it is a teacher – and it teaches players that there are more important things in life than itself. The sign of a true teacher is complete honesty, where the truth is spoken whether it hurts the speaker or not. Lopez teaches that baseball is not the most important thing in life, and that could hurt it, but it also shows that baseball is a true teacher. This can be an effective approach to any area of life and it is learned from baseball.
Baseball increases players’ mental strength by teaching them to remain focused. This task is tough to embody and requires much patience, but when it is utilized effectively it gives the user a notable advantage over the competition. Through virtue, hard work, and focused determination baseball becomes a classroom for teaching, and this is more valuable than the result of the game itself!
Is baseball a game? Of course. Is it more than a game? Most definitely. Clearly, baseball has evolved from a game into a business and a classroom for teaching. It is still a game, but at the same time it is more than a game. By looking through a realistic lens at the game of baseball, one can see that it has become much more than a game.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Works Cited
Alford, Gigi. “Model of Success; Former Santa Fe Christian Athlete Eager to Teach Youngsters How to Wear Different Uniforms With Pride.” San Diego Union-Tribune (2006). Lexis-Nexis. Cornerstone University Lib., Grand Rapids, MI. 26 Nov. 2006.
Bellis, Mary. “The History of Baseball – Alexander Cartwright.” About.com. 2006. 27 Nov. 2006
Haines, Diane. “Touching All the Bases; Baseball Coach Teaches the Importance of a Well-Rounded Life.” Herald News (2006). Lexis-Nexis. Cornerstone University Lib., Grand Rapids, MI. 26 Nov. 2006.
Lopez, Andy, and John Kirkgard. Coaching Baseball Successfully. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 1996.
Michaelson, Mike. “Cincinnati Sights Explore Dissimilar Themes: Baseball and Slavery.” Chicago Daily Herald (2005). Lexis-Nexis. Cornerstone University Lib., Grand Rapids, MI. 26 Nov. 2006.
Sanders, Holly. “Jeter is Making a Pitch for Movado Sports Line.” New York Post (2006). Lexis-Nexis. Cornerstone University Lib., Grand Rapids, MI. 26 Nov. 2006
Sewell, Dan. “Baseball Halls of Fame Having Resurgence.” Associated Press State & Local Wire (2006). Lexis-Nexis. Cornerstone University Lib., Grand Rapids, MI. 26 Nov. 2006
The New Inductive Study Bible New American Standard Bible. Eugene: Harvest, 2000.
“The Story.” 1919 Black Sox. 2005. 27 Nov. 2006
Copyright 2007 by Timothy C. Devaney
No comments:
Post a Comment