Poet and essayist Walt Whitman is supposed to have said, in 1888:
"Baseball is our game: the American game: I connect it with our national character."
Few sports are as significant to a nation as baseball is to America. Baseball has been a constant in American life through the nation's building, destruction, and rebranding. The sport reflects the countries' finances, cultural ambitions, and even political trends. To consider the changes in baseball is to consider the country’s history of race, immigration, population movements, business, and popular culture.
Telling the story of just a few influential figures within the sport of baseball reveals a constantly changing America. From the likes of Bill White and Jackie Robinson to the removal of the reserve clause and skyrocketing salaries. Now, it tells us about the era of Big data amid America’s burgeoning information-based economy.
Breaking the colour barrier
Jackie Robinson broke the colour barrier when he started with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. He became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. Less than two decades later, Bill White pressed this even further. The four-time all-star arrived for spring training in 1961, only to find that his hotel was far away from the rented beachfront that the Cardinal’s white players had. Speaking to Associated Press reporter Joe Reichler, White shared his frustrations:
“When will we be made to feel like humans?”
The story drew criticism of the team's segregated housing policy. Ultimately, it led Dr Ralph Wimbish, the president of the NAACP, to announce an end to his patronage of Major League Baseball. Eventually, a shared facility was established and all players received the same beachfront real estate. While predating the success of the civil rights movement by some years, it reflected the ongoing cultural change within America during the ’60s. It was a lightning rod example of integration.
The rise of economic individualism
In 1976, America celebrated its bicentennial at the same time when organised baseball became 100. Individualism grew. Culture and economy shifted to the West Coast. MLB expanded accordingly, becoming present in boomtowns like Seattle. Throughout the 70s, rule changes introduced the designated hitter. Culturally, players shod the clean-shaven look and embraced the long hair seen across protests in America. Even the invention of the ‘high-five’ happened in dodger stadium in the 70s, according to some accounts.
Most significantly, the reserve clause, which tied players to the team that drafted them for life, was abolished. From this birthed Free Agency. All of a sudden players had autonomy. Salaries boomed, and the standards for ball clubs became higher. Owners’ efforts to restrict player freedom and/or limit salaries continued, including some underhanded tactics. In the 1980s, teams operated in concert and adopted a hands-off policy about signing free agents from other teams to keep salaries down.
This remains a contentious issue in baseball. It even resulted in a strike during the 1994 season. It was a reflection of the boom of Reaganomics and the greed-based economy surrounding America today. It also ties to the professionalism of corporate America and the perfection expected as a result of the standards raised by free agency - all combined with leaps in technology.
The computer
Famously written about in Moneyball, Billy Beane’s approach to baseball for the Oakland Athletics changed the way the game is managed. Taking advantage of developments in computer technology to focus entirely on advanced data analytics, Sabermetrics created a quantitative analysis of a baseball player. The Athletics put together a 20-win streak - all while having one of the lowest payrolls in the league. Beane and his staff created new metrics, such as ‘on-base percentage’, to value players cost-effectively. This strategy changed baseball and all American sports, the use of “wins above replacement” (WAR) has been introduced to sports from Football to Hockey.
Ultimately, the embrace of data and computer analytics reflects the growth of Silicon Valley and the tech industry within America. Since 1990, outsourced practical industries and an embrace of the corporate office, workers have transformed America. Increasing R and D expenditure has resulted in a demand for management-based workers. A college degree has become something that’s expected, not valued. Baseball’s shift to date has mirrored this.
Even the pristine red and white ball in which the game is played traces back to the organisation and industrialization of a consumerist America. The minimalist colour, the ability to dispose of it at any time, and even the selling of game-used baseballs for six-figure prices make it the perfect American modernist object. It was first regulated in the 1850s, whilst the country was burdened with the question of slavery. Breakthroughs occurred in 1925 and 1934 when it was further changed to favour big hits and higher scores. The ball is now produced in a standardised Fordist factory owned by MLB itself.
Conclusion
Jasques Barzun, a professor of cultural history at Columbia University, wrote:
“Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball, the rules, and reality of the game.”
As a French-born naturalised citizen, he perfectly explains the impact which the game has had on society in America. Metaphors like ‘take a raincheck’ and ‘ ballpark figure’ come from the game. It’s impossible to cover the entire history from its roots in 1600 English stick games. But the entanglement of the sport and America's cultural outlook is eternal.
It’s more than a game. It’s a standard bearer for the political, moral, and economic health of a nation.
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