America's Game: Batter Up!

Our family marks time with four seasons: Spring Training, Baseball, World Series, and Waiting for Spring Training. Forget about Ben Franklin and the Liberty Bell, our city’s mascot is the Phillie Phanatic. What’s more American than baseball in the city where America started?

The answer is “Baseball in any American city.” Baseball is called America's Game because it's our own. The game spread during the Civil War by soldiers seeking ways to pass time, and the first league game was played in Hoboken, NJ. Player's names are synonymous with Americana: Babe Ruth, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra. Even the unnamed players are well known -- nobody seems to have ever figured out the answer to “Who’s On First?” but we all know Tomorrow’s pitching.

Join me for the next nine weeks as I explore the history of baseball in our country. Every Wednesday, we’ll look at the history of the game, baseball in pop culture, and find out what it takes to make it to Cooperstown. Look for Jude at the end of each posting -- if you see him, you know you're in the right ballpark.

Batter up -- let’s play ball!

Posts in this series:

1st Inning:  The First Pitches
2nd Inning: The Bambino
3rd Inning: Baseball's Anthem
4th Inning: Joe Jackson: Sox not Shoes
5th Inning: A League of Their Own
6th Inning: The Negro Leagues
7th Inning: Stadium Traditions
8th Inning: Star Sluggers
9th Inning: As American As Apple Pie
Extra Innings: Baseball's Hidden Heroes
Post Game: After the Last Out



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