The sport of baseball is often referred to as the "national
pastime." For years it has played an important role in many
people's lives, providing heroes and idols for millions of
children and providing numerous memories of "spring eternal" for
many others. Baseball's popularity can be traced to many things:
the dramatic one-on-one confrontations between the pitcher and
batter, unlike any duel in any other sport; the last minute
heroics by a rookie with a single swing of the bat in the bottom
of the ninth inning; the strong feelings of romance and grandeur
that one feels upon entering the stadium and seeing the playing
field; and the strong, rich tradition of the game itself that
has stood the test of time. Another reason for our love affair
with baseball is for the dreams that it has always provided.
Many of us have imagined ourselves being the one to hit the
game-winning homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game
Seven of the World Series or throwing a rare masterpiece -- a
perfect game. One of the reasons for this is because baseball is
the one sport which requires no specific or special physical
attributes in order to play. Unlike basketball, hockey, or
football, baseball does not require its players to be of a
specific height, weight, or body-build in order to participate.
Whether fat or skinny, short or tall, we have all dreamt of
playing baseball. Nothing could prevent us from playing baseball
if only we possessed the skills. Nothing, that is, except for
the color of one's skin. From 1898 until 1946, African-Americans
were not allowed to play professional major-league baseball. In
order for them to fulfill their dreams and desires of playing
baseball they formed their own leagues -- the Negro Leagues.
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**************************************** Written by Jason
Liptow, teacher and webmaster of
www.socialstudiesmadesimple.com.
About the author:
Webmaster of www.socialstudiesmadesimple.com with a BA in Social
Studies, teacher certification in Social Studies and History,
and MSBA in Operations Management and Quality Improvement
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