Baseball in the United States - Essay Example

Baseball in the United States Introduction Baseball in the United States can be traced back to the 18th century. It is widely spread in the country. Initially, amateurs used improvised equipment and did not have real rules when playing it. Historians agree that development of each game was because of shifting from traditional to modern society. Guttmann (2012) agrees that American society believes that the game is unique and as a result, it does not have to conform to the traditions of other societies. The author refers to the uniqueness of the American society as exceptionalism despite the fact that its development has followed the same path as other games in other countries across the world (Guttmann, 2012). Baseball in the United States America wants to have its own culture and games. Some historians argue that baseball started in the United Kingdom but many American historians disagree. According to Guttmann, individualism refers to the American way of life whereby they chose to develop their own sports, which were not played in the other parts of the world. Americans were not used to aristocracy and as a result, they had to choose from a wide range of activities that made them happy. It is of paramount importance to note that baseball can be played by everyone regardless of age, sex, or gender as opposed to soccer, which must be played by physically fit players. Although, baseball balls are cheaper than soccer balls, the latter involves more players and spectators because it is played in an open space (Guttmann, 2012). Most modern sports are timed, but baseball can go on if there is competition because the weaker team tries its best to retire the better side. This makes baseball more interesting to the American society because everybody is involved. American society is used to have a democratic way of life and they find this in baseball. Although admirers of golf, soccer, and football believe that the games are democratic, baseball fans see it as the most democratic game the world has ever seen. European and other societies view baseball as a boring game because of the interruptions, which occur during the game, but it has to be understood that the interruptions give the spectator enough time to calculate the arithmetic involved in the game. This is unlike other games such as soccer and football, which are continuous (Guttmann, 2012). According to Ross (2012), baseball is a pastoral game that creates a feeling of harmony to the spectator; it is worth noting that the game takes one from the bustle and hustle of city life to a traditional setting. Majority of Americans live in urban areas, which means that they spend less time in the countryside. This means that having a chance to watch a baseball match gives the person a relaxing environment (Ross, 2012). Baseball is timeless and as a result, it makes the spectator forget the changes in season, which happen because of time. Most Americans hate winter and when watching the game in autumn, they forget that winter is fast approaching. Baseball is less physically demanding because of the routines, which are associated with the game. The world has become very busy but the nature of playing is relaxed and calm, which makes spectators forget about the fast nature of life. Football and soccer are fast games and they create anxiety in the spectators as opposed to baseball, which is about drama (Ross, 2012). In baseball, the little things that one does in life mean a lot. The American society was involved in the First World War because it wanted the little things that happen in any given society to have a meaning. The current world has become very insecure, but that insecurity is not felt when one is involved in a baseball match. Baseball is pastoral as opposed to football, which is heroic and this is clearly seen in the sports’ two best players of their times. Babe Ruth looks calm while Jim Brown looks tough. This may be the main reason why baseball is losing popularity as people try to live the realities of life. Life needs tough people who are able to cope with the changes happening across the world, but baseball slows life down (Ross, 2012). The game is about talent, luck and a little extra hard work and this connects the spectator with the players. It has to be noted that most of the things that players do are achievable by the average spectator. This is unlike in other games, such as football, which require many physical activities. Sports have started to be treated as businesses and as a result, the natural setting that characterized baseball has changed. Games are played indoors because of the abrupt changes in weather conditions, which might disrupt a good afternoon. The natural feeling, which was associated with baseball, has thus declined (Ross, 2012). According to Mandelbaum (2012), the traditional society did its daily chores in relaxed manner. It is worth noting that football and basketball are both timed but baseball is untimed. This implies that the game was set on a traditional society that did not believe in urgency. Football and basketball are played fast because each team wants to outdo the other before time runs out (Mandelbaum, 2012). Traditionally, baseball games were not played at night, which means that the game ended at sunset just as the traditional workday. This has changed with technological advances, which means that games can be played at night. Baseball season is set according to the agriculture period, which starts in spring and ends up in summer, which is the time of harvest for most crops (Mandelbaum, 2012). Most of the matches are played in traditional settings that are outdoors. The fields are characterized with green foliage and dirt. It is worth noting that the fields for the games are known as parks, a name that is associated with traditional society. The size of baseball, football and basketball fields are set in certain dimentions, but most baseball fields are designed according to the strengths of each team. In addition, the distance between the players and the spectators differs from one park to another. This means that the game does not follow all modern rules of other games (Mandelbaum, 2012). The way basketball and football is played and the results are not dependent on which hand a player favors. This is different when it comes to baseball because if the pitcher and batter prefer the same hand, then this plays as an advantage to the pitcher. On the other hand, when the two players prefer different hands, it plays as an advantage to the batter. This implies that players have to be maneuvered in order to produce the best combinations (Mandelbaum, 2012). Tools used by the traditional man were handmade and this is still common in baseball bats. This is despite the advances that have been happening in the world of manufacturing. Bats are custom made for each given batter. Gloves and bats are made from organic materials, just like traditional items. Gloves are made of leather while bats are made of wood. After receiving the bats and gloves, players modify them to satisfy their specific needs. A baseball is made up of a cork that is covered by cotton cloth and inserted in a cowhide. In addition, the ball has one hundred and eight stitches, which are handmade. It is worth noting that football and basketball among other sports do not require one to use any tool (Mandelbaum, 2012). Traditional societies required several skills to acquire foods and the knowledge of their tools. Some of the traditional activities such as hunting and fishing required patience. For a successful baseball player, patience is very important because it ensures that one gets the best out of a game. A player is given a maximum of five chances to bat, while a fielder should always be ready to catch any ball that comes his way, although the player cannot tell in advance when this might occur. Playing baseball is hard and this can be connected to the traditional world whereby hunting was very hard. Not all games result in scores and this can be compared to hunters who would return home empty-handed after hunting for the whole day (Mandelbaum, 2012). Agreements The three writers agree that baseball is a traditional game given its rules and its playing fields. The world has undergone tremendous changes, which means that every person is living on a fast lane. Most of the other games and sports are timed but baseball can go for a whole day. The players take a lot of time in order to come up with the best strategy. This is unlike in other sports, which are dictated by time, and players are penalized if they take time to initiate a move. This could be the main reason why the sport is losing popularity in the United States: it is not in touch with reality. It is very hard to get the required time to watch a baseball game taking into consideration the busy lives that people are forced to lead. This implies that most people have to watch basketball and football because of life’s urgencies. They do agree that watching the game makes a person forget the fastness of life and thus, it is a very relaxing feeling (Guttmann, 2012; Ross, 2012; Mandelbaum, 2012). Disagreements Guttmann suggests that baseball might have originated in Europe, but Ross and Mandelbaum believe that the game must have come from America. This can be attributed to the fact that the game has not spread to other societies although it is very popular in North and South America. Moreover, the game is associated with the carefree world of the ancient American life when there was no hustle and bustle of life. The game happens to be very slow as associated with traditional life, however Ross does not seem to agree. In addition, Guttmann notes that although Americans believe that the game is unique, it is associated with other games played in other societies (Guttmann, 2012; Ross, 2012; Mandelbaum, 2012). Conclusion It is true that the game has not changed with time. The fact that the game is timeless means that its innovators had all the time to play it. This makes the game a traditional and outdating one because people have increasingly become busy. The feeling associated with the game’s lovers is relaxing and as a result, people find time to watch the game. This implies that the game rules should not be changed although lack of urgency in the game makes it unpopular in other societies. References Guttmann, A. (2012). Why Baseball Was Our National Game. Mandelbaum, M. (2012). Baseball: The Remembrance of Things Past. Ross, M. (2012). Football Red and Baseball Green. Read More