Baseball Exam #1

NY Knickerbockers

- 1845 - Drew up set of formal rules for their club games - Well organized - socially prestigious - favored rules that made game more formal and regular - Led other NY teams to adopt the rules - National Association of Base Ball Players founded in 1857 and adopted Knickerbocker rules. (Pay $10 for admissions. Commercialization and entertainment. Players in charge initially) -Upset b/c they didn't want immigrants playing their game so immigrants started own league. -Created idea of season -First rules came about in the 1840's -Reflected US becoming more organized and structured, wanting order

Cincinnati Red Stockings

- 1869 - toured the country as an openly pro team - Challenged NABBP which adopted new pro category. Boosted popularity of game. - Established idea of professional competition -encouraged formation of other pro teams and eventually led to the establishment of 1871 NA Play @ union grounds First team Commercial age full of brands -Decided team should be a brand, designed uniforms Picking up that pros are specializing and practicing to improve, apply this to baseball

Brotherhood of Ball Players

- 1885, League Established in 1890 - Against the commercialization and the way that athletes were being paid, so formed their own league - "League of their own" - Began in 1885 - Designed to help players in trouble and improve relations b/w management and players - Place for players to resist salary limits in 1888 - Led by John Montgomery Ward -When salary fixing took place, Brotherhood opted out of strike and put together a committee to deal with the NL - When committee was unsuccessful, Ward decided to make the Brotherhood into a league. League would be owned and managed by players who would reap the profits -Represents first serious effort to organize a labor union of ballplayers. -Aimed to raise player salaries b/c popularity of pro baseball was growing and so were the profits -Wanted to combat the reserve clause -Gained recognition in 1887 when NL owners met with Brotherhood's reps (owners unwilling to make concessions) -Players League officially established in 1890, until then had just been a variation of a labor union -Succeeded in improving some conditions for players and driving salaries up, but eventually lost to the NL b/c they had less money than the rich owners despite a better product

NABBP

- Accelerated by Civil War - Troops of men from different backgrounds were forced to adopt one set of rules, so took the NABBP rules

Professionalization

- As industrialization standardized, jobs became boring and monotonous. People looked to sports for bonding and entertainment. - Organized sports became popular in the mid 19th century - Traditional games were brought from other countries and became organized at universities - Strong sense of immorality surrounding baseball. Women were used to clean it up. - Standardization gave sports more respectability - Discrimination against women playing - Organized games start in late 1850s - Popular among Indians. Women played in this culture too - Pro teams were usually minor league affiliates of the major league teams scattered around the state - Geographical closeness, local pride and entertainment value made baseball a popular and vital part of local culture in early 20th Century

What did baseball look like in the early days

- Cheating in the game - Gambling - No safety precautions - Players bodies were not very athletic - Players didn't make much money and would work during off-season

WWII

- Drained manpower from major and minor leagues -

National League

- Established by William Hulbert as a way to step away from NA, which was not overly effective. - Major teams involved: Boston Red Stockings, Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Stockings - Shut down NA b/c strongest teams left -Allowed baseball to become an occupation for those who were good enough - Differences from NA: -Strong central origination-higher dues and could enforce regulation on teams - More businesslike attitude toward the game - Banned Sunday games and alcohol sales - Schedules, min admission fees, stopped some of the immorality in the game NL was the bedrock on which baseball was built Was ineffective in preventing gambling and contract jumping, so many teams jumped ship -Showed system for business management of the team was ineffective -National Association preceded NL, change happened when Hulbert lost in a petition to his shortstop moving in the middle of the season NL made very specific rules for member teams -Made consequences for rule breaking Leagues purpose was to create a competitive league and enforce order in business and baseball -Hulbert became prez of NL -Anson and Spalding brought pennant to Chicago within first year of the league -NL experienced a great deal of turnover, but still succeeded Entire clubs subject to expultion from league for violation of conduct, like sale of alcohol -Response was formation of NA by Justus Thomer but dissolved in 1890 (10 years later) 1876 Formation of other leagues in addition to NL made competition for players intense, teams lured players away -Leagues decided there should be a central authority that governed w/ equitable set of rules for all Wanted to bring ball players back under control (gambling, womanizing) Club owners not making enough New rules: -NL=organization of clubs, NOT players. Meant owners controlled instead of players. -Only cities with 75,000+ allowed -All player contracts written and must be adhered to by players -Clubs must complete schedules and have uniform admission prices Morals -No sunday baseball, no alcohol, no gambling, no player fraternization w/ fans -Unruly fans ejected -Wanted to attract women and families -Stabilize game

William Hulbert

- Established the NL -Thought if game became organized, it would grow in popularity and competitiveness -Instrumental in founding of the NL -National Association preceded NL, change happened when Hulbert lost in a petition to his shortstop moving in the middle of the season -NL did not support teams like Hulbert's in creating an equal playing field, so Hulbert decided to begin anew and get the support of Spalding and other budding stars to make the NL -2nd President of NL -"The man who saved the game" -Known as iron-fisted disciplinarian who expelled players for ungentlemanly behavior -Expelled four players in 1878 for conspiring w/ gamblers, stood firm on these consequences Head of industry Saw baseball as a business instead of a club -Shows continual organization in the US First empire builder of baseball, wanted to create a monopoly in order to control and implement their rules

Albert Goodwill Spalding

- Former pitcher - Team president - Entrepreneur in sporting goods industry - Major force behind the professionalization and commercialization of baseball - Owner of Chicago White Stocks team - Former pitcher for White Stockings -Owner most trusted by players, but kew that salary fixing would take place - Helped organize the NL -During progressive era, concluded that sport was American and ID'd its roots in Spalding's Official Baseball Guide of 1907 -Baseball Monopolist -Mirrored country coming together and growing -Led NAPBB -Starts sporting goods empire -Start moving gambling away from the game b/c goal is to be more professional -Boston is good at everything and monopolizes, so Spalding create another association to create competition (shows pattern of businesses not being as successful) Vision that baseball could be first big business sport, but would to be possible w/ current state of football

Charging an admission fee

- Injection of profit into the game led almost inevitably to growth of professionalism - Part of money would go to paying top players

Charles Albert "Chief Bender"

- Invented the slider and was one of the most formidable pitchers in major league baseball

When did baseball evolve into what we know it to be today?

- Late 19th century

Town Ball

- Most similar to baseball, but not unstandardized - Modern baseball derives from NY game

National Association

- NA - 1870 - Established by pro teams when NABBP took way pro category -1857 -Founding principle of organization was to keep baseball an amateur sport - prohibited players from getting compensation -Rivalries weakened teams so paying became common practice. Divided teams into those who paid and those who didn't 1871 - Red Stockings' success encouraged the formation of other pro teams and eventually led to the establishment in 1871 of a new organization: National Association of Pro Baseball Players

Wrigley

- Owner of the Chicago Cubs - Saw women to the issue of WWII: - 1943 - Organized All-American Girls Professional Baseball League - Media and fan interest greatest in the smaller cities - Slightly modified rules - Dress on and off the field strictly regulated - Much higher pay than average woman would normally make

19th Century

- Period of growth and development for baseball - By the end of the century: National pastime, several professional and amateur leagues, all over the US and other countries - Town ball

John Montgomery Ward

- Star shortstop of NY Giants - Lawyer - One of the few players who attended and graduated from college - Way to help players retain profits instead of letting owners pocket it all.

What did the Captains of Industry do for the US?

-America went from being at war with itself to the world's greatest superpower within 50 years -This was thanks to group of business-savvy, innovative young men -Made bold vision for modern America and transformed industries like oil, rail, steel, shipping, automobiles and finance. -First captains of industry

Progressivism

-Baseball is a sport, business, religion - As the country grew, so did the game -Baseball underwent radical metamorphosis during national transformation for Progressive era -Late 19th and early 20th century -Progressive Era was influenced by growing popularization of baseball -Gilded Age of late 19th century showcased major accomplishments of industrialization and growth and also made apparent numbers problems associated with such developments (poverty, class, working conditions and environmental conditions) -Progressives wanted to right these wrongs. -Teddy Roosevelt championed ideas of expansion and competition (Baseball followed suit) -Progressivism meant that the origin of baseball had to be written as being built in America! Admitted some outside influences, but mostly American. Sentiments launched several investigations into origin of baseball during Progressive era -Spalding concluded that sport was American and ID'd its roots in Spalding's Official Baseball Guide of 1907 -Shifts in popularity represent shift of mindset toward urbanization and large industry

Adrian "Cap" Anson

-Chi White Stocks -First batter to have over 3000 runs -Racist, part of getting blacks banned -First to coordinate position of outfielders -Invented Spring training -Coached from baseline -Introduced a pticher rotation throughout the season -Bullied empires

Mike "King" Kelly

-Chi White Stocks -Played all positions but pitcher -Attracted Irish Catholics, new immigrants and women -Took advantage of loopholes in rules -Cut the bases -Drunk -Made Anson's life hell -Extremely popular

Trusts and Monopolies

-Companies are booming and busting -Lots of depressions -Laissez-faire style government (hands off) -Factories arise, labor is divided up among several laborers (process of manufacturing is broken down into areas of specialization. Makes labor much more tedious, makes you replaceable. Factory workers out of job b/c factories being centralized due to railroad) Creates ergonomics -Frederick Winslow Taylor studied this (prevent injuries) -(-) workers may not want to work harder and faster Usually owners causing the monopolies, not the players NL in better position than AL b/c of finances Owners in NL began buying teams in American league too to limit competition (monopoly-->we permit monopolies in pro sports) Monopolists=Magnates=Big Corporate Owners Rockies=Meat Packing Baseball is essentially corporate run

Class Warfare

-Demise of association led owners to take over -Damaged economy, organizations/professionalism/corporations on the rise

Ty Cobbs

-Epitomzied players from humble beginning who rose to greatness

Baseball as an Empire I

-Excelsior Club of Brooklyn's 1860 tour caused clubs to realize that exposure and monetary benefits could be brought by touring -Boston Red Stockings Manager tried to go to England to spark interest among his native country, but failed. Sent Spalding back to garner interest for baseball touring featuring B Red Stocks and Philadelphia Athletics Spalding picked Charles W. Allock to coordinate affairs in Britain (Secretary of one of the cricket teams) -Organized first baseball game in England in 1874 -Spalding scheduled the two teams to play in various European countries, but they also had to play cricket in each country. Allock was supposed to promote American game, but procrastinated 1874 Tour -Lack of promotion by Allock caused failure to draw big crowds. Perhaps thought tour was about Cricket and not baseball. Americans won all cricket matches Results of tour: -No residual effect on the game -Decreased teams profit margins b/c of financial loss

Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis

-Game's first commissioner -Expert on baseball -Presided over injunction suit brought on by Federal League -Kept his job as judge while also acting as commissioner -Commissioner could investigate anything they thought was or were told was suspicious. (Decisions were final. After Landis' death, proposed that players could dispute decisions and if ballplayers were following the rules, action could not be deemed detrimental to be best interests of baseball) Thought AL and NL were fine to be monopolies, but thought FL was out of line. Case went to supreme court, SC said it was a monopoly but it was up to congress to change it

Napoleon Lajoie

-Great Player for American Assocaiton

Benefits of playing baseball at the organized level

-Harness own talents and express them to others -Could develop athletic prowess, competition and ability to work as a team -Salaries grew well about that of the average NYer

Mill's Commission

-Investigating history of baseball -Found evidence that the first game took place in Cooperstown, which was based solely on letter from Abner Graves claiming he was present at first game and saw Abner Doubleday (has now been discredited)

Journalsim

-Journalism followed the game and players, made the players known -Proposition of a sports page -Owners closely linked to journalism -Demand for coverage continually increased

Spalding vs. Player's League

-Lowered ticket players lured baseball stars back -Brotherhood league collapsed and reserve clause stayed in place...Spalding held monopoly over baseball

Abner Doubleday

-Ordered first shot @ Ft. Sumter -Father/creator of national pastime -Said he did not know about the sport, was not the true inventor -Was used by Spalding as the baseball icon (Created Doubleday myth) Myth: -Baseball said to be an entirely American Invention, not friendly w/ the British so did not give them any credit -Spalding knew we'd have to make businesses that unified US economically, after civil war, this is what the country chose to turn to Was in Westpoint on day he was said to be opening the Hall of Fame

Christy Mathewson

-Player for Giants -Epitomized players from humble beginnings who rose to greatness -Good Christian player, very polite -Believed in progressivism -Most popular player in early 1900s -One of original 5 hall of famers

National Commission

-Problem with commission is that members had vested interests in certain clubs, causing commission to be ineffective -August Herman (ONLY PREZ OF NATIONAL COMMISSION) -Downfall from Commission came from 1919 world series when Herman chose not to believe that Reds (his team) were winning b/c White Sox were throwing the game. Caused NL to propose the National Commission be removed and one person be put in its place who was unbiased and trustworthy Eventually became a dictator Was Monopoly present in baseball? Taken to supreme court. Should more leagues come in? Baseball ruled to be expempt from monopolies

Reserve Clause

-Restricted player movement (jumping team during the season) -Helped keep salaries down Made by spalding Showed limits of the powers of the workers (players) in the league Players likened it to slavery

Statistics

-Statistics came of age, became more common and standardized. No other sport so grounded in statistics. Mirrored census gathering data, study of humans through scientific statistics

Albert L. Johnson

-Sympathetic to Ward's Plan for the Brotherhood League -Believed owners were taking advantage of players -Saw proposition for Brotherhood league as being potential profit for his streetcar lines, so pitched in his time and money to help get league organized

Modernity Strikes out Tradition

-Tried to make it a civilized game, but became more amore rowdy. Kept middle class away. -Became for those who had leisure time -Immigrants used baseball to integrate themselves -Publications dedicated to baseball were open

What did Order and Organization do for the game

-Turned it into the national pastime -Stability of two league team made change within baseball possible

Age of Railroads

-Union Pacific and Central Pacific join -Key to growth during this time, growth of bands -Can now travel the country much more quickly -Makes travel and commerce much easier (Created national markets) -Time became standardized to prevent train crashes

Desire for a Livelier Game#

-Wanted to make it livelier, but made it faster and more dangerous -Fans jeering -Jim Deacon White-Refused to wear mask. Experimented w/ position of catcher on the field -Jim Tying-First player to wear a mask -Spalding (1877)-Skin colored glove w/ ventilation, not commonly used by players -More curveball pitchers

American Nationalism

-prevalent in the progressive mindset -Obvious in baseball when compared to games played abroad -Baseball had a huge impact at home and abroad 1) Poor and the rich shared the same experience 2) Citizens took pride in their home teams, sparked rivalries 3) Support of teams breached class and status 4) People from different classes could talk to each other about the common topic of baseball Attracted entrepreneurs -Used popularity to gain influence and financial profit. -Many NY politicians got their start in politics through baseball b/c Tammany Hall sponsored amateur teams as way of attracting ambitious young men to its ranks Game required skills seen as necessary to be successful in biz during Progressive era -technical skills -good character -intelligence Progressive minded people were criticized for their own shortcomings, as was baseball -Financial disputes -Black Sox Scandal (1919 World Series)-8 players accused of throwing the game for a bribe. One was Chicago great Shoeless Joe Jackson. Showed that unregulated competition and influence of outside money could negatively affect game and threaten to completely ruin baseball's integrity and popularity. Progressive move to appoint experts to examine (Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis) -Corruption and financial greed tarnished baseball's image -Sale of Babe Ruth Advent of radio broadcast fueled baseball's popularity as fans that lived far from urban centers could now tune into games from comfort of own homes Assisted urban populations in becoming noteworthy citizens Baseball fans saw sports as extension of rural America within cities, could help urbanites become good Americans by playing baseball and participating in ritual of spectatorship

Boston Bean Eaters (Red Sox, 1897)

-split league to create championship game, but so unequally matched that fans didn't care. Cut pay further.

When were baseball rules codified?

1845

George and Harry Write

1860s George-pro-->Goes from NY to DC to Cincinnati b/c better pay Harry-->Manage Red Stocks Umps could call both batters and pitchers out Batters could tell pitchers where to pitch More baseball players demanding pay Teams bidding on players

Baseball Fever

1867 Songs about baseball come onto the scene

American League

1881 Used to be Western League Est. 1899 -Ban Johnson=Prez

National Agreement

1883 Tripartite Agreement Served as central law of associations Promoted harmony among members Run by reps from each league Wanted to create stability Min Salary Created National Commission

Progressive Era

1890-1920 Silver Age of Baseball Progressivism: Trust busting Progressives=politicans, legislators, biz leader and baseball figures Moralists-worried about morality, reform US's society

Pullman Strike

1894 Brought attention to power of organized labor -Union came together and shut down stransportation hub of USA (Chicago) -Deadly strike, spread throughout country, froze the economy (restored order w/ McKinnley election)

President McKinnley

1897-1901 -Buisnessman's President -Under him: Sherman act, antimonopoly laws -Big inequalities in society-->economy to blame (Proposals for govt to come in and regulate)

Byron Bancroft "Ban" Johnson

1900 w/ first season in 1901, former Cincinnati sports writer -Responsible for two league system -Changed name of Western League to American League -Tried to establish AL as NL's equal -Put teams in cities where NL dropped them -NL refused to see AL as an equal. In retaliation AL repudiated National Agreement and unilaterally declared itself an equal professional organization -Offered higher salaries which attracted players away from NL. NL saw they were losing players, so decided to accept AL as equal in 1903. Led to new National Agreement and the World Series

NY Highlanders (Yankees)

1911 Ntl Commission (league presidents) would now run baseball -Revived idea for champsionship b/w 2 leagues (World Series...name comes from World Post sponsor) -Designate eligible players, disperse earnings, hire umps) -Bureaucracy now ran the sport -NL finally had a leader -Ban (AL) bagan to be a dictator

AB Happy Chandler

1945 -Became second commissioner -During commission: vast changes in games structure, breaking of race barrier, creation of player pension plan

Ford C. Frick

1951 Former prez of NL Third commissioner Ammended Major League Agreement to give commissioner more control

Aftermath of Civil War

4 million slaves free -How are they going to be integrated as formal Americans Industrialization -How the war happens, continues after war Conflict in the West (1860s-1870s) -What happens to Native Americans Reconstruction and Jim Crowe

Peter V. Ueberroth

6th commissioner Attracted to the job by offering him more power and the title as CEO of baseball

Allan H. Bud Delif

9th commissioner Changes under Selif: -Interleague play -Revenue sharing is transferred from high to lower -Extra tier of playoffs and the wildcard -First phase of realignment -Consolidation of administrative functions of A and NL into commissioner's office

What did Progressivism represent?

Agrarian independence of Jeffersonian Democracy -Celebrating the individual -Pitting the lone batter against an opposing pitcher w/ supporting cast of defensive fielders -Contrast to time-clock-obsessed working culture of industrial revolution. Game could go on forever Growing industrialization that came into dominate country following the Civil War -Team first mentality championed notions of American industry.... -Took team effort to win ballgame and championship just like in the business world -Individual sacrifices were necessary -Social Darwinism-Baseball helped reinforce emergence of business and business competition in the late 19th century Shift between Agrarian and Industrial -Game combined traditional pre-industrial individualism w/ new urban corporatism. Game was transitional -Baseball more industrial than agrarian Game for social elite of inner cities -Elite's intention to keep the game limited to the wealthy who could afford it. --Consistent with the social stratification that the Progressive Era sought to change --Elites could not prevent the spread of popularity of baseball Advances in Technology -Fueled spread of baseball popularity -Newspapers publishing game results

Billy Sunday

Base stealer and evangelist -lectured players about good manners

JP Morgan

COI -Founded the banking company JP Morgan, a leading financial firm in the country

John D. Rockefeller

COI -Head of Standard Oil company -One of world's richest men -Philanthropic

Thomas Edison

COI -Lightbulb and phonography -Held over 100,000 patents for hist inventions

Andrew Carnegie

COI -Self made steel tycoon. One of the wealthiest 19th century US businessmen Gospel of Wealth -Wondering "why are ppl so rich" -Explanation: Darwin-->survival of the fittest -One needs to work hard -Make your own money, don't inheret -Change poverty (Build libraries, Carnegie gave away wealth to build these. Encourage ppl to build own wealth like he did. Poor must take initiative) -National brands arrive due to wealthy people (like Carnegie) and railroads`

Cornelius Vanderbilt

COI -industrialist in railroads and shipping -accumulated largest fortune in US at time of his death

Henry Ford

COI -revolutionized assembly line model of production for the automobile -One of the foremost industrialists

Fanatics

Came about and wore gear to show they were fans

Brooklyn Excelsiors

Center for baseball

Temple Cup

Championship-like game Teams would play for the pennant and the temple cup

Charles Comiskey

Chi White Sox and Ball Players Protective Association -Bought teams from Western American League -Good friends with Ban Johnsn

Clark Griffith

Cubs and Senators Goal: Have American League be recognized as a second league -National League uncooperative, wanted American league to be the minor league under NL for a fee

Mistakes made by magnates

Did not generate fan interest in post season Did not divide 12 teams in to competing divisions Did not increase competition among teams

New Women: Ladies at the Gae

Discontinued women games where women got in free (NL) Now had to be escorted in by a man to be let in for free Tried to bring more women in to clean up the game and attract the middle class AL still had women's games Tool women used to campaign for women's right to vote Women in baseball/women's rights=progressivism

Bowie K Kuhn

Fifth Commissioner Lawyer Under Him: Attendance doubled, 6 more clubs

Jim Creighton

First Pro and Star, 1860 -America is becoming more career oriented and specialized. Same w/ baseball

Baltimore Orioles#

Foxy Ned Hanlon -Bought stock in Orioles (became an owner) -Wanted say/power in the team "Wee" Willie Keeler -Great hitter and right fielder -Hit em where they ain't John McGraw -Famous manager -Bad temper -First to employ strategy to help team win a game from the dugout -Oriole and giants -Invented the Baltimore Chop-Bunting strategy -Won 3 straight pennants -Not many ppl got along w/ him -NL realized attendance was dropping, Monopoly seemed to not be working anymore, had no organized leader like AL had (who was running smoothly) Invented manager using signals in the dugout to control team on the field

Andrew Freedman

Giants Owner -Jewish. given a hard time by anti-semitists -LEgit enemies b/c oftemper and habit of hiring/firing -dynamic and synester -Intentionally weekend giants to show league they wouldn't survive w/o a team in NY. Still true to this day.

How has the governance of the game evolved?

Governance of the game has evolved from ineffective alliance of players known as NA to central figure w/ considerable powers called the Commisioner Power rested w/ board of 5 directors

Mergers and acquisitions

It's a biz, not about fun Expenses too high and not practical Owners pooled their resources and invested in each other's teams

Henry Chadwick

Journalist -Didn't like owners' mismanagement of player behavior -Believed baseball would be a moral establishment -Didn't like impurities w/in the city, wrote about this -Wanted baseball players to "man up" -Criticized baseball, imposed his own ideas (despised the homerun because it lacked talent and art) -introduced the earned run -wrote thousands of articles -invented standings (how is my team looking) -made guide for the end of the season -The Father of Baseball (at least modern baseball) -Started using abbreviations for positions -k=strikeout -batting avg, total bases --> slugging%s (number of hits per bat) -usually sided with owners, attacked high salaries, defended reserve balls -Called players terrorists of the national pastime -Wrote history of national pastime (sent to Prez and Spalding) -Be good, told about how good owners were , how bad players were

La Soule

Mix b/w soccer and lax Various sports may have descended from this

American League vs National League

NL -1876 - Older, stronger, charged more for tickets -organization of clubs rather than an association of players (difference from NA) AL - 1881 - Equal of the NL b/c mutual agreement to respect each club's exclusive right to the players on its reserve list and share proceeds from early version of world series played each autumn b/w the pennant winners

Henry Pulliam

NL-AL Merger -Prez of NL -Brought peace between leagues, agreed to work together and be cooperative in set up new teams -Ban Johnson agreed to all of this, esp when told they could have a team in NY

Beginning of Modern Baseball

NL... -More scoring -Lengthened pitching space -Pitcher's rubberslab -Batting average runs increase dramatically (doomed older pitchers, pitchers mound invented, lights on the field)

Game becoming organized into a pro sport

No true competition, diff leagues by same rules -NL Established in 1876 and allowed baseball to become an occupation for those who were good enough -Baseball, like surrounding society, began to require rules and regulations -Progressive Era sought to put policies into place that moved the problems created by the Gilded Age (baseball tried to right its own internal affairs. Brought baseball into the forefront of American interest. -At the turn of the 20th century, baseball's clean, fast, exciting action captured country's imagination unlike horse racing and football -Was now a public spectacle, not just for the elite Baseball also mirrors relationship of urban life, business organization and values that underlay them -Baseball becomes a business, run on biz principles -Rise of pro baseball showed that public was highly interested in observing the sport -Could make a living playing baseball -Ty Cobbs and Christy Mathewson-epitomzied players from humble beginnings who rose to greatness

Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers

One of the only teams to be profitable at the end of the 19th century

Urbanization

People moving into cities (at time, it was mostly rural) Why cities?? -More opportunities -More money -Socialization-->More options Sporting grounds popping up Streetcars and trollies popping up Emergence of middle class -More respectable -Must be gentile -embody virtue -Would not find middle class in baseball games b/c gambling, drinking, spitting tobacco Reformers in Urbanization -Wanted ppl to be more cultured and polite

Honus Wagner

Pirates -Batting leader until retirement -At times thought to be greatest player ever

Babe Ruth

Sale of Babe from B Red Sox to NY Yankees showed power of wealthy owner to change face of competition for own interests

Mills

Soldier Organizes games among the troops Soldiers stepped away from war at times to play baseball

Baseball as an Empire II

Spalding - helped development of game as a stable, well-organized biz -One of many who promoted baseball and sport as a means of guaranteeing American progress while alleviating tensions and fears that seemed part and parcel of modernizing American society -Fears included: Fearful of America's future with immigration, growth of industry, clashes b/w labor and capital, growth of large cities, internal migration -Recognized baseball's ability to incorporate values and character values and character traits associated with America's frontier experience to the demands of an urbanized society w/o causing chaos or destruction = Baseball taught self control and need to play by rules of larger team =Spalding was saying all this to enhance personal fortune by encouraging popular interest in sport Spalding's World Tour -Spalding created world tour of pro baseball players b/w October 1888 and April 1889 -Called greatest event in modern history of athletic sports -Spalding hoped to spread American manliness and virtue by introducing baseball to the world in dramatic style -Many of his intentions were based in growing his business in sporting goods -Tour included Cap Anson and Jimmy Ryan who together held about every NL batting title for the season -Opponents: Many thought Spalding was recruiting fourth rate players b/c he was too cheap. Spalding said he picked the men who were men of clean habits, an attractive personality who would reflect credit upon the country and the game -Tour began in America to raise hype and money before Australia. Very successful. Chicagos vs. All Americans -Australia: =Tour was well received =Said that baseball would become popular w/ local countrymen, first link to mutual friendship b/w the two countries =Hoped it would make America their ally and guiding light =Spalding tailored his baseball guide to convince Australians that they could adopt American values by playing the game...also done to promote his own business as he hoped the growing country would take on baseball as it grew Urban Middle-Class Americans -Last 25 years of 18th century witnessed virtual explosion of popular interests in sports -Sports seen as a legit leisure and activity and economic enterprise...caused by promotion of sports as an activity that serviced significant social purpose. Thought it ouwld create a better formed race Old World Spalding made surprise announcement that tour would continue on into Ceylon, Egypt, Italy, France and Brit Isles Mixed results: -Games not very popular or well received -Egypt: Onlookers horrified by players' treatments of sacred spaces -Italy: could not convince italians to let him play in the coliseum or get an audience with the pope -England: Received warm receptions, special acknowledgements by House of Commons and meeting with prince of wales. Game was still not well received just like 1874 attempt. Though baseball was inferior to cricket and out of place Returning to the US -Spalding got a warm welcome -Celebrated tour at Delmonico's in Manhattan (Teddy Roosevelt, Mark Twain, local politicians, baseball officials, Yale undergrads, popular members of NY stock exchange) -Albert praised for his efforts and spreading Americanism abroad, increasing American presence abroad -Praised as devotees of manly sport -Social promise of sport -Received well everywhere he went in the US during his homecoming tour -Character and morality of players and baseball applauded -Last stop on tour was Chicago. Praised for making men we are proud of Spalding lost money on tour but praise only increased his confidence -Felt tour laid foundation for future international success of baseball, speed of American values and expansion of his biz -Spalding saw game he helped organize as expression of Ameircan exceptionalism and superiority -Spalding called the father of baseball -Spalding was an empire builder with goals to meet all corners of the globe

Salary Cap

Spalding -players can't make more than x -Players would threaten to go to another team to get better pay, but couldn't b/c of reserve clause

Denton True "Cy" Young

Spalding proposed games where pros were let in for free -Players league attendance topped nt. league -Spalding crushes players league. Revolt of labor failed all over country. McKinney control of pro sports doesn't work, must have heads governing -Great pitcher, still holds many records -Cy Young Award for best pitcher from previous season Move from NL to AL b/c of poor treatment of players in NL

Low attendance during what...

Spanish American War Depression

Civil War

Starts in SC @ Fort Sumter 1861-65 Men not available to play b/c on frontline (only a few clubs survived) MD: Stays in Union, remains slave state -Baseball survives in MD b/c they banned talk of war in the stadium/club -After war, begin taking on appearance of pro sport Baseball begins merging N and S Brings people together Brings nation back together

Bipartisan Progressivism

Teddy Roosevelt (GOP) and Woodrow Wilson (Democrat) -Baseball on Sundays (Christian fundamentalists against it. Catholic and Protestant were fine with it. Owners wanted more rev so opposed the Blue Bans on Sundays. Bans not strictly enforced) -Movies began talking about serious issues and so did baseball -Patrons at games were middle class -Gave you men a homeless. Helped give them manners, etc.

Connie Mack

Tried to entice brotherhood players back to NL by offering higher salaries. -They refused but this gave younger players the opportunity to get into the national league

1896 Election

Urban vs. Rural Pitted the two groups against each other

Caps

World Series in 1903 was first of baseball's modern era -Pittsburgh vs. Boston -Players had new code of dress b/c of newly codified rules -Caps worn by spectators signaled social identity...these hats are now obsolete and have been traded in for the cap which is classless -Cap represents studies of plasticity in action and of the individual effort to stake out a singular place on the roster (logos can have different meanings depending on where you are. Yankees caps in China symbolizes an idealized America Knickerbockers -usually seen as first organized team...Introduced baseball uniform in 1849 -Wore straw hats not b/c of sun and didn't have logos, simply wore them because they were gentleman in public -Caps evolved into what New Era Company began producing in 1954 and still produces today -In late 1970s, seen as distasteful to wear a ball cap in public unless at billfold Hat's increased legitimacy was due to: -Explosion of TV sports -Maturation of first generation of Little League retirees -Relative suavity of Detroit Tigers cap worn by Tom Selleck in Magnum PI -----Created interest in authentic ball caps -----Went from being seen as immature to cute and boyish ------In 1979, New Era began selling to the public -Presence of Spike Lee in stands of 1996 World Series wearing custom baseball hat sparked new chapter of sports licensing ------Started to make statements about gender and sexual orientation and style ------Appearance of cap evokes different stereotypes and social figures (dirty white cap=frat boy. Flat bill=hip hop and new money) -Changed with the style and the trends Cap is not a fashion item, but something larger and more primal: the headpiece of the American folk costume