Baseball and American Culture Across the Diamond

A thoughtful look at baseball's impact on American society.

Discover baseball's role in American society! Baseball and American Culture: Across the Diamond is a thoughtful look at baseball's impact on American society through the eyes of the game's foremost scholars, historians, and commentators. Edited by Dr. Edward J. Rielly, author of Baseball: An Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, the book examines how baseball and society intersect and interact, and how the quintessential American game reflects and affects American culture. Enlightening and entertaining, Baseball and American Culture presents a multidisciplinary perspective on baseball's involvement in virtually every important social development in the United States—past and present. Baseball and American Culture examines baseballs unique role as a sociological touchstone, presenting scholarly essays that explore the game as a microcosm for American society—good and bad. Topics include the struggle for racial equality, womens role in society, immigration, management-labor conflicts, advertising, patriotism, religion, the limitations of baseball as a metaphor, and suicide. Contributing authors include Larry Moffi, author of This Side of Cooperstown: An Oral History of Major League Baseball in the 1950s and Crossing the Line: Black Major Leaguers, 1947-1959, and a host of presenters to the 2001 Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, including Thomas Altherr, George Grella, Dave Ogden, Roberta Newman, Brian Carroll, Richard Puerzer, and the editor himself. Baseball and American Culture features 23 essays on this fascinating subject, including: “On Fenway, Faith, and Fandom: A Red Sox Fan Reflects” “Baseball and Blacks: A Loss of Affinity, A Loss of Community” “The Hall of Fame and the American Mythology” “Writing Their Way Home: American Writers and Baseball” “God and the Diamond: The Born-Again Baseball Autobiography” Baseball and American Culture: Across the Diamond is an essential read for baseball fans and historians, academics involved in sports literature and popular culture, and students of American society.

About the Editor Contributors Preface Acknowledgments Section I: The American Fan Chapter 1. A Distinct Sense of Belonging Chapter 2. Home Base: A Survey of Backyard Baseball Diamonds Chapter 3. On Fenway, Faith, and Fandom: A Red Sox Fan Reflects Chapter 4. Baseball Memorabilia Section II: Baseball Inclusivity Chapter 5. From Jackie to Elvis, from Selma to St. Petersburg: The Desegregation of Spring Training Chapter 6. Creating Home with the Ball Field: The Dynamics of Baseball and Civic Inclusivity for Germans, Irishmen, and Blacks During the Late Nineteenth Century Chapter 7. The Internet and the Popularization of the Negro Leagues Chapter 8. Baseball and Blacks: A Loss of Affinity, a Loss of Community Chapter 9. The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: Accomplishing Great Things in a Dangerous World Chapter 10. Globalization of Baseball in Popular Culture Section III: Money, Managing, and Myth Chapter 11. Heres the Pitch: Baseball and Advertising Chapter 12. From John McGraw to Joe Torre: Industrial Management Styles Applied Throughout the History of Major League Baseball Chapter 13. The Hall of Fame and the American Mythology Section IV: Baseball and the Arts Chapter 14. Politics, Patriotism, and Baseball On-Screen Chapter 15. Writing Their Way Home: American Writers and Baseball Chapter 16. Baseball As a Second Language: The Impenetrability of Our National Pastime Chapter 17. Baseball Poetry: Societys Overlooked and Underestimated Literary Art Form Chapter 18. Eiron Men, You Know Me, Alazons, and Pixies: Baseball Humor As American Humor Section V: Baseball and Resolution of Conflict Chapter 19. Baseball Labor Relations: Is It Safe to Go Back to the Ballpark? Chapter 20. God and the Diamond: The “Born-Again” Baseball Autobiography Chapter 21. The Winter Meetings, the King of Baseball, and the Conscience of the Game Chapter 22. Control Problems: The Limitations of Baseball As Metaphor Chapter 23. Boys of Summer, Suicides of Winter: An Introduction to Baseball Suicides Index Reference Notes Included

Frank Hoffmann