Reflections on the intersection of civic and market, public and private, in the history of the National Pastime
Baseball History
Reflections on the intersection of civic and market, public and private, in the history of the National Pastime
Posts
What I taught: Baseball and American Culture: History, Literature, Cinema
I never delved as deeply as I'd wish on cinema and, especially, the literature side of this. Here's the syllabus. I'll be posting lots of stuff I produced for that class - a summer workshop, one week, five nights, 5.5 hours a night. A real slugfest.
Interview on this course: note that the interviewer lets me briefly mention “baseball as the myth of industrializing America” but edits out everything I say about the topic. Good move; I'm sure I was incoherent.
Part One: From Fraternity to National League
If you'll recall, this was a one-week workshop and this was Monday's focus. I'll attach here the handout (with a short little essay at the end) and pdfs of the powerpoints I used.
Part Two: The rise of organized baseball: competition and collusion
This includes a short little essay on “the myth of industrializing America." I never did get this right but I do think there's something there. The last time I taught it, I think I made some advance. I'll try to include the fruits of that at some point
Part Three: Creating the National Pastime: Civic and Market at Odds
My favorite part of the course, gets at the civic-market conflict. Again, handout and pdfs of powerpoints.
Part Four: Baseball's Two Revolutions: Ruth and Robinson
I always say if you listed the most important figures in 20th century American history, Ruth and Robinson would not be that far down the list.
part four baseball's two revolution Ruth and Robinson.pdf