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Treated like a king, then smacked into the heavens: Considering the American baseball
Ted Anthony frames the baseball as a symbol of home and memory, even as dozens are used in a single major-league game.
- As part of the American Objects series marking the United States' 250 anniversary, baseball remains a central cultural icon. Ted Anthony writes that the baseball encapsulates the spirit of America, with the ball forever at the center of the national pastime.
- Baseball coalesced into being during the latter half of the 19th century, evolving into a game where the ball is held meticulously by one player before being delivered to an opponent with a stick who attempts to strike it.
- When traveling overseas in 1979, having a baseball provided a sense of home for those feeling homesick, with Ted Williams remaining a touchstone for this connection to America through the sport.
- From T-ball to adulthood, the sport offers a unique thrill marking life's passage; a father once questioned how long he could catch, yet the connection persisted for two decades until the author was at LEAST 14.
- Despite its nostalgic appeal, baseball carries physical risks; a baseball killed Ray Chapman in 1920, demonstrating the intensity behind this American object and its central role in American identity.
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14 Articles
The Toronto Star+13 Reposted by 13 other sources
Treated like a king, then smacked into the heavens: Considering the American baseball
PITTSBURGH (AP) — I'm no pitcher. But the first time I made my father flinch with my fastball, I felt as if I had grown up that day. My hand was finally big enough to affect the ball's trajectory and…
·Toronto, Canada
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Total News Sources14
Leaning Left8Leaning Right0Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Left
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources lean Left
57% Left
L 57%
C 43%
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