How baseball Explains the World

Will Chandler

November 11^th, 2015

Shirk IR

Blog Post 4

On May 4^th, 1869, the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings played the Great Westerns of Cincinnati, and America’s past time became a business. In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first black baseball player in the MLB. Jump forward about a 65 years, and the Kansas City Royals just defeated the New York Mets for the World Series title in front of an average 14.7 million fans. The two teams featured about 23 international players throughout the season in live game action. Overall, about 41% of all MLB players are of color (2015 Major League Baseball Racial and Gender Report Card). While this may seem like progress, there is still much evidence of racism in baseball, however it is a microcosm of globalization and its double edged abilities because baseball has been affected by globalization’s ability to disseminate information, exposure and mass scrutiny and deal with social issues on a national scale while avoiding actual mass violence.

 

Baseball shows us that racism is still inherent in people, however, under the pressure of masses for equality, it can disappear. The sacred, just mediators of baseball are the umpires. Yet they have fallen into the same bias and racist tendencies common around the world. “SMU found that home-plate umpires call disproportionately more strikes for pitchers in their same ethnic group…  the data suggest that racial bias is probably operating at a subconscious level, where the umpire doesn't even recognize it.” Racism is still common in our culture, as much as we may try to hide it, it exists at a subconscious level. However, there are way to minimize it’s effects. “Researchers found that umpires' racial biases diminished when they knew they were being monitored by the computer. Same thing for high-profile moments. During those important points in games when umpires knew fans were more carefully watching the calls, the racial bias all but vanished. Likewise, the same-race preference was less pronounced at high-attendance games, where umps knew there would be more crowd scrutiny”. When people are being more highly scrutinized, they are able to overcome these subconscious plagues, and behave in the right way. Globalization gives access to these resources we need in order to possess a positive pressure for equality. Just as 14.7 million viewers at home, all with access to instant replay positively influence umpires to make the correct call, regardless of bias, government and corporations around the world are similar effected by the internet and modern communication to clean up their act because due to globalization, they are held accountable for their actions by thousands of viewers around the globe.   

 

 

“You don’t belong here n*****. You hear me, why don’t you look in the mirror? This a white man’s game. Alright? Get that through your think monkey skull!”

-Opposing Coach in 42

 

Jackie Robinson faced extreme odds and violence when he became the first black player in the major leagues. He faced violent opposition and extreme prejudice by both fans, umpires and even teammates. The expansion of the baseball, from a backyard sport for fun, to a small business, quickly became a large scale operation as it popularity grew wildly throughout the 20^th century. As more franchises popped up, and the pressure to win championships increased front offices, in the hunt for the best players began looking at new sources. While the sport grew in popularity in America, it also expanded around the world. Other groups quickly picked up baseball, it was especially popular among black youth, and an independent league, “The Negro Leagues” was even formed. However, the demand for the best players, spurred by its growing business and popularity caused the Brooklyn Dodgers to sign and play Jackie Robinson in 1947. This started a rush of incredible racism and brutality as the current race issue in America was put on the national stage. Jackie Robinson’s success lead to alleviated tensions and was a major example of flawed white American ethnocentricism.

 

"We're opening this game to everyone that can play. However, if you're going to come into our country and make our American dollars, you need to respect a game that has been here for over a hundred years..."

-Bud Norris

 

Since inception in 1869, baseball has spread out all over the World. From a young age, kids all over the globe have come to love and play “America’s pastime.” In fact, there is an international tournament held every year in Williamsport, Pa for American and international youth. Despite baseball’s identification as a purely American sport, more international teams have won the Little League World Series title, then American ones, despite an even American to International team ratio. This trend continues, as seen in the World Baseball classic, where the US has never finished in the top 3 places! And since its inception as an Olympic sport, the US has one just 1 gold medal, while Cuba leads the way with 3. Despite all of the evidence to the contrary, professional baseball is still seen as an American sport, and as such, there is a common sentiment that it should be played in an American way. Current MLB player Bud Norris, expresses this sentiment above, this extends off the field as well, “And that, dear Latino player, is a lesson you can apply to every single aspect of your life in American baseball: your music, your dress, your emotions, your playing style. If any of it ever offends one of the locals, the rationale is always, ‘Hey! America! Our country, our music, our money, our way!’" (Racism in Baseball isn’t going Anywhere). Sentiment among active American players, is that despite clear evidence to the contrary, baseball practices around the world are significantly inferior to the American style. In fact a common phrase in baseball when it comes to hot headed, flashy foreigners, is that are a danger to the game. Hot shot Cuban outfielder Yusiel Puig has been a polarizing example of this, as he allows his emotions to clearly enter into his play, this has been met with opposition as “staunch traditionalists argue for preserving the integrity of the game” (sportress of blogitude). The expansion of baseball, has led to racial backlash, othering and violence between white American traditionalists and different races and cultures around the world.

 

               The globalization of baseball has been full of positives and negatives. This is because globalization is inherently a double edged sword. While it puts pressure on countries because it holds them responsible for their actions, and allows social issues to be tackled without direct violence, it also can lead to racism and othering.         

“Maybe next time we will all wear 42, that way that won’t tell us apart.”

-Pee Wee “42”