...This past summer, I was fortunate to be selected to an elite team of baseball players from Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho to compete in the Baseball Northwest Championship Tournament in Oregon. This would prove to be one of the most significant experiences of my life and would have a profound impact on me and for my future. My entire life has been devoted to excelling in the classroom and in athletics. My family has always been involved in sports. My father and grandfather have played, taught and coached at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. My grandpa played professionally for the Chicago White Sox Organization, then coached basketball and baseball at the collegiate level for over fifty years. In 1984, my father was drafted professionally and played five years for the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres Organizations. After completing his professional baseball career in America, he played for the Neptunis Yankees Major League team in Holland. Education has also been a priority for my family, as my grandfather has a Doctor’s Degree, and my father has a Master’s Degree plus 90 hours of additional graduate work. I hope to be able to follow in their footsteps and attain the same level of athletic and academic achievement. The opportunity to participate in the Baseball Northwest Tournament was a special honor, although one that I was very anxious about. Upon arriving with my family at the tournament site, I was excited and awed...
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...story of a boy who becomes discouraged when his above average father fails in his eyes at a crucial part of their family dynamic: baseball. This poem portrays a relatable situation from when the boy is young to when he becomes a father himself with humiliation and disgrace learned through ageing. In the beginning of the poem the father, from the eyes when the boy is young, is portrayed as an admirable dad to people looking from the outside but to the young boy he is a disgrace because he is a failure at baseball. The father let him “stay up late/ talk about baseball at dinner/ watch the fights unfold like grainy nightmares in Gillette’s Cavalcade of Sports…” He was all into baseball yet he was poor at the sport. The father gave baseball so much hype in the house hold that the expectation left for the son was so high that he felt humiliated to be seen with the father. Of course this disappointed the boy because he expected everything to be perfect and the best part of life to this boy was ruined because the father was unsatisfactory. At the end, the tables have turned because it is now 30 years later and the young boy is now the father. Instead of him being scared to see his father fail, he is scared to be in that position. He is terrified to be the disappointment to his son. Sometimes when things are given so much hype, there is no room to go up only room to fail. Because the relationship between father and son is so fragile, situations like this can...
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...During 1947 Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play baseball. 1919 Jackie Robinson was born, and he was the youngest child in his family. He started playing baseball in 1947. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in New York City. The owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers wanted to break the color barrier of baseball. He was watching one of the Negro Leagues, and he saw Jackie Robinson performing very well. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, because he was the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball, he had to deal with the racism, and also he had to fight against segregation. Jackie Robinson had many racists said to him when he played baseball. “In light of his outstanding performance, it was clear that Robinson...
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...truths that can best be represented by distorting the image of reality. Classicism to bring in a third theory is all about ideal storytelling, it lies somewhere in between realism and formalism. (Understanding Movies 5) The goal of a classicist is to tell a story in the best way possible. They want you to get caught up in the characters and their problems, to feel what they feel, but not be distracted by the filmmaking techniques. The two films we screened in class Bull Durham directed by Ron Shelton, and Field of Dreams based on the novel Shoeless Joe directed by Phil Alden Robinson both demonstrate these film theories throughout their movies but in a very different matter. Bull Durham is a great realistic example of what the sport of baseball means to the men who play it. It's all about the dreams, the desire to compete, and the ultimate goal to one day be part of the “show.” The players in the minors endure long, hot days of riding sub par buses, while making a barely livable wage, just for one shot at making it to the big leagues. Bull Durham was able to show the passion behind the sport, without overly misrepresenting the image of professional athletes. The players aren't illustrated as heroes but instead they're shown as passionate men...
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...not getting equal rights as white people. He is still living in the past and is not accepting the fact that the world is changing for the better. Troy is a harsh person, he is very strict, but he wants what is best for his family. Troy Maxson could have been a great baseball player but was not because of racism, yet that did not stop him from fighting against it and thus he can be considered a tragic hero. Troy was an astonishing baseball player. He could have gone far into his career, he was one of the best players “ain’t but two men ever played baseball as good as [him]”(9). Although he was a great player, racial discrimination prevented him from playing. Troy would be benched the entire game and not allowed to play. This had a great impact on him and the way he raises his children. He does not allow them to play sports because he does not want the same thing to happen to them as it did to Troy....
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...turning into a religious based film. The movie develops a fantasy when farmer Ray understands the voice wants him to build a baseball field in the middle of his corn crops so Shoeless Joe Jackson (deceased) can materialize out of the Corfield and come play there. The movie prudently does not try to explain the strange events that happen after the field is built, it depends on a poetic vision to make its point. A specific speech in the movie describes baseball in a simple and true way, which ultimately describes the goal of the players who emerge from the cornfield, which is to simply play they game they love. The believable relationship created by the young couple Ray and Annie develops the theme that love means sharing your loved one’s dreams. Field of Dreams will not appeal to realists, it is made up of fantasies but stays true to what the plot promises, “if you build it, he will come.” Shoeless Joe Jackson does not return from the dead to save the world, but to answer the cry of a baseball legend. Based on the article published in the New York Times written by Nina Easton (Easton, 1989) Despite Universal Pictures attempt to hide it, it is evident Field of Dreams is a baseball movie. The famous Shoeless Joe Jackson returns to life in the film when a farmer in Iowa demolishes his cornfield to build a baseball diamond. The movie is not solely about baseball, it establishes lost dreams,...
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...Infield Hit by Thomas J. Dygard is a very good book. The story is about a boy named Hal Stevens whose father played in the Major League Baseball (MLB). Hal’s parents were not together and they were constantly moving to different states. Hal played baseball, but always gets frustrated because everyone expected him to be a power hitter and a good third basemen like his father. Hal didn’t have the strength to follow in his father’s footsteps. Hal eventually got a fresh start but then his father started problems again. After reading Dygard’s story entitled Infield Hit it’s clear that the literary elements characterization, conflict, and theme add drama, excitement, and a better understanding to the story. Characterization is a key element to...
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...truths that can best be represented by distorting the image of reality. Classicism to bring in a third theory is all about ideal storytelling, it lies somewhere in between realism and formalism. (Understanding Movies 5) The goal of a classicist is to tell a story in the best way possible. They want you to get caught up in the characters and their problems, to feel what they feel, but not be distracted by the filmmaking techniques. The two films we screened in class Bull Durham directed by Ron Shelton, and Field of Dreams based on the novel Shoeless Joe directed by Phil Alden Robinson both demonstrate these film theories throughout their movies but in a very different matter. Bull Durham is a great realistic example of what the sport of baseball means to the men who play it. It's all about the dreams, the desire to compete, and the ultimate goal to one day be part of the “show.” The players in the minors endure long, hot days of riding sub par buses, while making a barely livable wage, just for one shot at making it to the big leagues. Bull Durham was able to show the passion behind the sport, without overly misrepresenting the image of professional athletes. The players aren't illustrated as heroes but instead they're shown as passionate men...
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...In chapter 8 of the book Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy the author tries to make Turner and Willis adversarial relationship, become more intertwined with each other. This might create an unknown friendship with these opposites. What brought them close together is the last baseball game and the painting Mrs. Hurd’s shutters. During the last game of baseball in Phippsburg Turner was up to bat. He set his feet and readied himself for the first pitch. When he swung the ball went flying into the air but unfortunately, the first hit was a foul ball, which was hit out of the field. The second hit was the same thing. It was now his last strike so he had to make it count. But instead, he kept hitting foul balls. The umpire was now down to his...
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...knew there was more to life than just basketball. In the prime of his career Jordan was hit with the hardest news of his life. Jordan’s father had been shot and killed in a robbery along the border of Jordan’s home state, North Carolina. The news devastated the star. The close relationship between Michael and his father was something that was well known. Jordan decided the best way to honor his father would be to follow his father’s dream of seeing his son be a baseball player. A team, a sport, a nation all quivered as the idol of basketball was ready to throw away his talent to pick up a sport he hadn’t played since high school. Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox owner, Jerry Reinsdorf, thought that Jordan deserved a chance to fulfill this dream. Reinsdorf offered Jordan the opportunity to stay in Chicago and become a member of the White Sox. When Jordan joined the Chicago White Sox there were many doubters far and wide. The baseball world felt that Jordan was spitting on it. The idea that someone could pick up a baseball bat and just start hitting came across as insulting to baseball enthusiasts. Sports Illustrated came out saying the “experiment” would never work. This athlete who was now over 30 years of age could never make the transition. Although there was doubt from many, droves of fans still flocked to see Jordan in a baseball uniform. The first attempts came at the Chicago White Sox spring training. Jordan worked to keep up with the other players, but constantly...
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...Katie Nguyen 9/6/2017 Heart of a Champion The book Heart of a Champion written by the author Carl Deuker shows the story of the two main characters Seth Barnam and Jimmy Winter. The story takes place in California and talks about Seth and Jimmy's experiences and shared love of baseball. The story starts off with Seth who is seven years old and had lost his father he later accepts his fathers death. Seth however did not have an interest in sports while he was young but at the age of twelve he started to pick up baseball and met Jimmy Winter. Jimmy Winter however had a much different life than Seth. Jimmy still having a father was forced to do intense baseball practice due to his natural talent. Seth aspired to do better at baseball and even thought Jimmy was better than him. Seth works hard and eventually improves with baseball and school work. However the story took a turn because Jimmy's life took a downward spiral. He had to move away but later came back and joined a baseball team. His father however had a divorce and affected him greatly he began drinking and eventually died in a drunk driving accident....
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...Hall of famer Ty Cobb, made a huge impact, not only on the 1920’s and 1930’s, but he effected the whole world of baseball. Setting the new best batting average, people knew that the “Georgia Peach” was different from the others of their time. Born on December 18, 1886, in Narrows, Georgia, Tyrus Raymond Cobb’s love of baseball started at a very young age. He started playing sandlot ball when he was old enough to swing a bat, and that’s where it all began. He was the eldest of three boys of William Herschel Cobb and Amanda Chitwood. He graduated from Franklin County High School in Royston, Georgia. His father, though, didn’t support his ambition of becoming a baseball player, as he was a teacher, principal, newspaper publisher, and state senator. Therefore, when Ty left to become an athlete, his father gave him some words of advice,...
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...Persuasive Essay: Young Boys Should Be Involved In Little League Activities (Baseball) COMM/215: Essentials of College English Mrs. Barbara Pleasant, PhD. April 29, 2004 Young Boys Should Be Involved In Little League Activities (Baseball) Young boys should be involved in league sports. Baseball is just one of the sports that little league offers. “Little League Baseball was founded in 1939 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania by Carl Stotz as a baseball program for boys. Little League Baseball is the largest organized youth sports program in the world with 2,900,000 participants on 193,000 teams in 91 countries” (Little League Baseball History). Many professional baseball players started out as a little leaguer in their community. This is where their dream started. Involving young boys in little league baseball would keep the child busy, help the child learn different skills, and help kids that come from single parent homes. Involving young boys in little league baseball would keep them busy in their spare time. Every week the coach schedules practice on different days. This allows the child to prepare for game day. If the parent mentions to the coach that the child is having problems in school, most coaches will tutor the child during practice. If that is more than half the team, then they may even have study time instead of baseball practice. Education is the key to success and it comes first. On game day the child will be ready to show the new skills learned...
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...Baseball In the mid 1800’s a new sport emerged throughout America. They called it baseball, evolved from an old English game. From the moment it was invented it was instantly popular. Today baseball is known as The American Past Time. The baseball community and its athletes continue to grow year after year, as young athletes develop love for the game and its year round battles. Majority of baseball fans and non-baseball fans have been to a major league game and have both seen and felt the energy of the setting. .Baseball is responsible for priceless moments such as a father and son playing catch in the back yard. Many people find baseball too slow and think doesn’t require much skill to play, but as many of my former coaches would say the game is 50% mental and 50% Physical. one of the only sports as my high school coach . A big reason why people are attracted to baseball is because it is one of the only sports that involves a skilled athlete vs another skilled athlete, pitcher verse batter, 1 verse 1. As baseball revolutionized throughout baseball it became bigger and bigger. It reached other countries and they picked up the sport quickly and made their own leagues. Today baseball is one of the most popular sports out of all. Our fore fathers created and established many important things that shaped America to be the way it is today but only one is known as “Americas Past Time”. Baseball originated prior to the civil war, at the time it was called rounders. Rounders...
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...Abstract As you read, you will learn about the wonderful game of baseball and a different outlook on the sport. It is a popular sport in America. The rest of the world looks to America as a guiding force. They view America as the baseball empire of the world. Major league baseball is the envy of the world. Baseball has very broad cultural, social, and geographic impacts that go deeper than we think. We will briefly examine the diverse and changing social, economic, and political meanings of this activity in different countries. Baseball has failed in the promotion in many European and African societies and we will discuss why. Baseball is an international sport that brings great experiences and great memories that last a lifetime. It can be very important in the bond of family. The swing, techniques, bat and balls are important and we will learn why it’s important to have proper training. Also you will read about players that have tarnished the sport and players that have changed baseball forever. Mainly this is a view of the importance of the sport worldwide and how it has changed the world through the guidance of American baseballs influence on the rest of the world. Sport of Baseball Internationally this game is viewed as a very powerful game. Baseball is the same in many ways all over the world. Every player is aiming to knock the ball out of the park or just feel lucky to get on base. Although the game has changed, the history of the...
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