Baseball in the Classroom

As scholarly interest in baseball has increased in recent years, so too has the use of baseball both as subject and as teaching method in college courses. In addition to lecturing on baseball history, professors are more frequently using baseball as a pedagogical tool to teach other disciplines. Baseball’s interdisciplinary appeal is evident in the myriad ways that diverse college faculty have made use of it in the classroom.
In this collection of essays, professors from different disciplines explain how they have used baseball in higher education. Organized by academic field, essays offer insight into how baseball can help teach key issues in archival research, business, cultural studies, education, experiential learning, film, American history, labor relations, law, literature, Native American studies, philosophy, public speaking, race studies and social history.

Edward J. Rielly is a professor emeritus of Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, where he created and directed the Writing and Publishing program. He is the author or editor of 30 books and lives in Westbrook, Maine.

Edited by Edward J. Rielly
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 196
Bibliographic Info: 7 photos, notes, bibliographies, index
Copyright Date: 2006
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2779-6
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8152-1
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi
Introduction by Edward J. Rielly     1

Archival Research: Using Documentary Records to Touch All the Bases (John A. Vernon)      3

Business: Applying Modern Financial Principles to the Babe Ruth Purchase (Michael Haupert, Kenneth Winter and Lise Graham)      19

Cultural Studies: Baseball in American Culture: A Sociocultural History of Baseball (Alar Lipping)      27

Educational Partnerships: Times, Traditions, and Technology—Teaching the Negro Leagues (Raymond Doswell, Gerald D. Bailey and Dan Lumley)      33

Experiential Learning: Journal of a Journey—Teaching Baseball on the Road (E. Michael Brady)      40

Film: O’Brien to Ryan to Goldberg—Fact, Fiction, and Cultural Stereotyping in Baseball Films (Rob Edelman)      51

Film: Baseball Cinema in the Classroom (George Grella)      61

History: Using Baseball to Teach U.S. History Since the Civil War (Jerry Rodnitzky)      69

History: Baseball and American Culture—A Seminar (William M. Simons)      77

Labor Relations: As Many Strikes as It Takes—Using Baseball to Teach Labor Relations (Karen S. Koziara)      87

Law: Even the Best Lawyers Must Know Baseball (Roger I. Abrams)      95

Law: “Legal Baseball” in the Law School Curriculum—The Contracts Example (C. Paul Rogers III)      104

Literature: Baseball Literature for General Education (Gary Gray and Gary Land)      113

Literature and Grammar: Baseball in the English Curriculum (Edward J. Rielly)      125

Native American History: More than a Game—Teaching American Indian History through Baseball (C. Richard King)      131

Philosophy: Baseball and Philosophy? “Let’s Go to the Video Tape!” (Eric Bronson)      137

Public Speaking: The Rhetoric of Baseball—Citizenship and the Public Speaking Classroom (Michael L. Butterworth)      145

Race Studies: Redefining the Narrative—Effa Manley, Jackie Robinson, and the Integration of Baseball (Robert Cvornyek)      151

Race Studies: Teaching Social Justice by Examining the Desegregation of Baseball (Joe Marren)      159

Social History: American Vice and Teaching Baseball History (Kevin Grace)      169

About the Contributors      179
Index      185

“Rielly covered all the bases…serves as a practical, hands-on work that provides interested teachers in most disciplines with the tools successfully to incorporate baseball into the classroom…excellent”—Aethlon; “quality writing, excellent organization, and a wealth of hands-on, practical advice and resources”—Sport Literature Association; “Rielly has collected a fine group of essays. A guaranteed winner…a home run we all can applaud”—Journal of American Culture.