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Baseball and Americanism

Tom Zeiler

This course will explore baseball and Americanism. What does it mean that baseball is the national pastime? What does national pastime even mean? What about national? When you think of the United States, what do you think of? Is baseball a part of that? These are some of the aspects we are going to delve into throughout this course. We are going to spend some time discussing how baseball reflected American culture at the time. In some instances, we will discuss how baseball reflected what people wanted American culture to look like, or appear to be.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Continental Expansion and Beyond
In this module we will cover topics surrounding the Civil War, reconstruction, the Indian Wars, and the Spalding Tour.
Read more

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Appeals to students who are interested in American history and culture
Might be considered to be on the easier side for learners who have experience in baseball or American history
Might be useful for learners who want to know more how the history of baseball intersected with American history
Knowledge of American history or culture may be helpful for this course

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Create your own learning path. Save this course to your list so you can find it easily later.
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Reviews summary

Unveiling americanism through baseball's lens

According to learners, this course offers an absolutely fascinating exploration of how baseball intertwined with American identity and history. Students consistently praise the engaging lectures and the instructor's profound knowledge, noting the well-structured content that builds understanding progressively. While it provides deep historical context, some found the course to be quite academic, with extensive and dense readings, making it more suitable for those interested in cultural studies and history rather than casual baseball fans seeking anecdotes. Recent reviews suggest improvements in interactive elements.
A scholarly exploration of history and culture.
"It's more academic than I initially expected, focusing heavily on historical context rather than just baseball anecdotes..."
"The content was very dense and academic, often feeling like a college history lecture..."
"It's definitely for serious history students."
"It's not a course about statistics or famous games, but rather the cultural significance, which I found deeply rewarding."
Recent updates include more interactive discussion prompts.
"My only minor critique is that some older reviews mentioned a lack of interactive elements, but it seems they've added more recent discussion prompts, which was a nice improvement."
Expertly connects baseball to major historical events.
"The way Professor Smith connected baseball to major historical events was brilliant."
"The instructor's passion for the subject shines through."
"The professor is a master storyteller, weaving complex historical narratives with the evolution of baseball."
"The instructor is very knowledgeable, though some of the lecture pacing felt a bit slow at times."
Best for history buffs, less for casual baseball fans.
"Not what I was looking for as a casual fan."
"I was hoping for more specific examples and stories related directly to famous baseball moments or players."
"It felt a bit too academic and less 'fun' than I imagined."
Requires significant engagement with dense historical texts.
"Required significant reading."
"The readings were extensive and sometimes dense."
"The readings were overwhelming."
"Some lectures were hard to follow, especially without the extensive background reading."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Baseball and Americanism with these activities:
Volunteer as a baseball coach or tutor
Volunteering as a baseball coach or tutor will give you a practical understanding of the game and help you develop leadership skills that will benefit you in the course.
Show steps
  • Contact a local baseball organization.
  • Inquire about volunteer opportunities.
  • Complete any necessary training.
  • Start volunteering.
Attend a baseball game
Attending a baseball game will give you a firsthand experience of the game and help you connect with other people who share your interest in baseball.
Show steps
  • Purchase tickets to a baseball game.
  • Attend the game.
  • Talk to other fans.
Read 'Baseball' by Ken Burns
This book provides a comprehensive overview of the history of baseball, which will help you understand the course materials more deeply.
View 42 Today: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy... on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the book in its entirety.
  • Take notes on the key points.
  • Write a summary of the book.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Develop a lesson plan on baseball for a specific grade level
Developing a lesson plan on baseball will help you understand the pedagogical aspects of the game and how to teach it to others.
Show steps
  • Choose a grade level.
  • Research baseball lesson plans.
  • Develop your own lesson plan.
  • Teach the lesson plan to a group of students.
Analyze baseball statistics
Analyzing baseball statistics will help you understand the quantitative aspects of the game and how they relate to the course materials.
Show steps
  • Find a website or database that provides baseball statistics.
  • Choose a set of statistics to analyze, such as batting average, home runs, or earned run average.
  • Create a spreadsheet or chart to track the statistics.
  • Analyze the statistics to identify trends and patterns.
Contribute to a baseball-related open-source project
Contributing to a baseball-related open-source project will give you hands-on experience with the game and help you develop software development skills that will benefit you in the course.
Show steps
  • Find a baseball-related open-source project.
  • Contact the project maintainers.
  • Start contributing to the project.
Write a blog post about the social impact of baseball
Writing a blog post about the social impact of baseball will help you understand the broader cultural significance of the game and how it relates to the course materials.
Show steps
  • Choose a topic to write about.
  • Research the topic.
  • Write the blog post.
  • Publish the blog post.

Career center

Learners who complete Baseball and Americanism will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Museum curator
A Museum Curator researches, acquires, interprets, and displays items in a museum. This course may be useful. It can help provide a historical context for the items that a Museum Curator will need to understand.
See salaries and explore the career path for Museum curator
Art Curator
An Art Curator researches, acquires, interprets, and displays works of art in a museum or gallery. This course may be useful. It can help provide a historical context for the works of art that an Art Curator will need to understand.
See salaries and explore the career path for Art Curator
Archivist
An Archivist acquires, preserves, and makes available historical records, documents, and other artifacts. This course may be useful. It can help an Archivist understand the historical context of the records and documents that they will need to work with.
See salaries and explore the career path for Archivist
Historian
A Historian researches, analyzes, interprets, and writes about the past. This course may be useful. It can help a Historian understand the historical context of the events that they will need to study.
See salaries and explore the career path for Historian
Teacher
A Teacher develops and delivers educational instruction to students. This course may be useful. It can help a Teacher understand the historical context of the topics that they will need to teach.
See salaries and explore the career path for Teacher
Professor
A Professor teaches at a college or university. This course may be useful. It can help a Professor understand the historical context of the topics that they will need to teach.
See salaries and explore the career path for Professor
Journalist
A Journalist investigates, writes, and reports on news and current events. This course may be useful. It can help a Journalist understand the historical context of the events that they will need to report on.
See salaries and explore the career path for Journalist
Author
An Author writes books, articles, and other works of literature. This course may be useful. It can help an Author understand the historical context of the topics that they will need to write about.
See salaries and explore the career path for Author
Screenwriter
A Screenwriter writes scripts for movies and television shows. This course may be useful. It can help a Screenwriter understand the historical context of the events that they will need to write about.
See salaries and explore the career path for Screenwriter
Playwright
A Playwright writes plays for the theater. This course may be useful. It can help a Playwright understand the historical context of the events that they will need to write about.
See salaries and explore the career path for Playwright
Editor
An Editor reviews, edits, and proofreads written material. This course may be useful. It can help an Editor understand the historical context of the works that they will need to edit.
See salaries and explore the career path for Editor
Lawyer
A Lawyer provides legal advice and representation to clients. This course may be useful. It can help a Lawyer understand the historical context of the laws that they will need to work with.
See salaries and explore the career path for Lawyer
Politician
A Politician holds elected office in government. This course may be useful. It can help a Politician understand the historical context of the issues that they will need to address.
See salaries and explore the career path for Politician
Diplomat
A Diplomat represents their country in foreign affairs. This course may be useful. It can help a Diplomat understand the historical context of the relationships between countries.
See salaries and explore the career path for Diplomat
Nonprofit Manager
A Nonprofit Manager oversees the operations of a nonprofit organization. This course may be useful. It can help a Nonprofit Manager understand the historical context of the issues that their organization will need to address.
See salaries and explore the career path for Nonprofit Manager

Reading list

We've selected nine books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Baseball and Americanism.
Cover image
Baseball in the Garden of Eden
Save
Provides a comprehensive overview of the history of baseball in America, from its origins to the present day. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the game and its place in American culture.
Baseball in the Garden of Eden
Paperback
Check
Baseball in the Garden of Eden
Kindle Edition
Check
Cover image
Baseball
Save
This classic work explores the relationship between baseball and American culture. Seymour argues that baseball is not just a game, but a reflection of the American character.
Baseball: The Early Years (Oxford Paperbacks)
Paperback
$$
Baseball: The People's Game (Vol 3)
Hardcover
$$
Baseball: The Golden Age
Hardcover
$$$
Baseball: The Golden Age
Hardcover
$$$$
Baseball: The Early Years
Kindle Edition
$
Baseball: The Golden Age
Kindle Edition
$$
Baseball: The People's Game
Kindle Edition
$
Cover image
American Baseball
Save
Examines the role of baseball in the American dream. Voigt argues that baseball has been a powerful force for social mobility and integration.
American Baseball. Vol. 2: From the Commissioners...
Paperback
$$
American Baseball. Vol. 3: From Postwar Expansion...
Paperback
$$
Cover image
Campy
Save
Provides a comprehensive overview of the history of baseball in America, with a focus on the game's greatest players and teams.
Campy: The Two Lives of Roy Campanella
Hardcover
$$
Campy: The Two Lives of Roy Campanella
Hardcover
$$
Campy by Lanctot, Neil [Hardcover]
Hardcover
$$$
Campy: The Two Lives of Roy Campanella
Kindle Edition
$$
Cover image
Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Legends
Save
Collection of essays on baseball history, culture, and statistics. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the game.
Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Legends
Paperback
Check
Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Legends
Kindle Edition
Check
Cover image
The Big Fella
Save
Tells the story of baseball from its origins to the present day. Leavy provides a rich and detailed account of the game's history, characters, and controversies.
The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He Created
Hardcover
$$
The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He Created
Kindle Edition
$$
Cover image
The Purpose, The Passion, & The Power of Evangelism
Save
Tells the story of the owners of Major League Baseball teams. Powers provides a fascinating look at the men who have shaped the game's history.
The Purpose, the Passion, & the Power of Evangelism...
Paperback
$$
The Purpose, The Passion, & The Power of Evangelism...
Kindle Edition
$
Cover image
The Old Neighborhood
Save
Collection of essays on baseball statistics and strategy. James is one of the most influential baseball analysts of all time, and his work is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the game.
The Old Neighborhood: A Novel
Paperback
$$
The Old Neighborhood (New Chicago Classics Book 10)
Kindle Edition
$
Cover image
Being Ted Williams
Save
This massive reference work provides detailed information on every player, team, and game in the history of Major League Baseball.
Being Ted Williams: Growing Up with a Baseball Idol
Hardcover
$$
Being Ted Williams: Growing Up with a Baseball Idol
Kindle Edition
$$

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Course image
Effort
2 - 3 hours/week for 4 weeks
Level
Introductory
Via
Coursera
Institution
University of Colorado Boulder
Instructor
Tom Zeiler
Language
English
This course belongs to a collection called American History Through Baseball. It's comprised of four courses:
  1. Race, Gender, and Culture
  2. Baseball and Americanism (viewing)
  3. Moneyball and Globalization
  4. Baseball into the Millennium
Traffic lights
Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Appeals to students who are interested in American history and culture
Might be considered to be on the easier side for learners who have experience in baseball or American history
Might be useful for learners who want to know more how the history of baseball intersected with American history
Knowledge of American history or culture may be helpful for this course
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