Introduction
Baseball is regarded as the national sport representing American identity and spirit. Therefore, it has an exceptional cultural significance in American history. The peculiar detail is that baseball was initially the game that rural populations played, and it became popular in cities after a while. There are two ways baseball, with its rural roots, influenced the American character: the rivalry of equals and the cultivation of team play and personal strength. First, the contest between clubs representing small cities or universities shows the division of American society into smaller autonomous units. This rivalry reflects the pro-active position that Americans value and their desire to win in the equal fight. Second, baseball emphasizes the physical strength and ability of the players to unite as a team, and these qualities are essential in the formation of the American identity. It is possible to hypothesize that the regional roots of baseball emphasize the special place of the rural culture in the construction of the contemporary American identity and promote the traits that the rural population values.
Main body
Many Americans associate baseball with its rural origins, which creates a particular pastoral image of this game. It appeared at the beginning of the 19th century after the Civil War, and children and young men played it in the villages. Baseball originated from various stick-and-ball games that appeared in rural England and then migrated to the United States (Vaught 1). Therefore, the myth that baseball is the game of urban men might create a false perception of this topic. It is possible to assume that baseball was the nostalgia of city-dwellers’ life in the village and the reminiscence of their cultural roots. Therefore, baseball was initially the game of farmers who played it on vast territories, and it is critical to emphasize these regional roots in the cultural context.
It is possible to regard baseball as the tradition that unites different generations of Americans. The game represents the character traits that Americans from rural areas valued for centuries, including the desire to produce and overcome frustration, anxiety, and hardship. It is reflected in the sudden action that the baseball players take, their swift movements, and their team play, which is represented in the strict order of the players and their functions during the game (Vaught 8). Therefore, baseball represents the essential qualities of character that the American man should have to survive. The game is the metaphor for life with its challenges and hardship in its essence.
The peculiar detail is that baseball is a typically American game, even though it originates from English rural games. Its rules formed over a long period because people adapted various types of ball-and-stick games, adapting to the surrounding reality. The standard rules for all teams appeared officially only in 1858, and baseball was called the American game by journalists (Rossi 36). This example shows that the American culture appeared gradually, and baseball has become an essential part of the image of the typical American lifestyle. It foregrounds the claim that the history of baseball dates back to the 19th century and the history of the United States and American culture are interconnected.
Baseball gained national popularity in the 19th century due to gambling, which motivated many Americans to watch sports games (Davies 1). Most men knew the rules of this game because they played it in their childhood, which made the process more interesting for spectators. Media coverage and the rising popularity of baseball led to its development and improvement and finally made baseball iconic to the American culture (Davies 1). In other words, most people played baseball when they were children because this game was popular in the rural areas where most people in the 19th century lived determined its popularity and active development. It was impossible to divide baseball from the American culture, and this tendency became more evident when the game received national popularity.
Baseball reflected the political and social division of the 20th century United States, which showed that the game’s history and the nation’s history were interconnected. Competition between the teams of the workers’ unions, political parties, universities, and players of different races reflected the rivalry in society (Dreier 1). In all cases, baseball allows people to compete during the game, making the tension between social groups less severe. It was the competition between equals, and this process was essential in American culture.
Conclusion
To conclude, it is impossible to divide the history of baseball from the history of American culture. Its rural roots emphasize the importance of the regional culture informing the American identity and spirit. Among the qualities that baseball develops are the individual’s dynamic character, strength, team spirit, and competition of equals. American society consists of different groups that rival each other, but at the same time, they are united by common goals. Moreover, baseball represented the competition between equals essential in American society. Therefore, baseball emphasized the critical place of rural culture in the American discourse and contributed to developing the spirit of competition among equals.
Works Cited
Davies, Dave. “The ‘Secret History’ of Baseball’s Earliest Days.” NPR, 2011, Web.
Dreier, Peter. “Baseball Has Always Been Political.” Talking Points Memo, 2021, Web.
Rossi, John P. “Baseball and American History.” Pennsylvania Legacies, vol. 7, no. 1, 2007, pp. 36–37.
Vaught, David. “Abner Doubleday, Marc Bloch, and the Cultural Significance of Baseball in Rural America.” Agricultural History, vol. 85, no. 1, 2011, pp. 1–20.