This travel course examines the relationship of baseball to American society. It considers historical parallels between the coming of age of the United States and its "national pastime" along with a wide range of other issues. These include race, gender, stadium architecture, business aspects of baseball, careers, and the ethics of sports.
Through the experience of museums and various baseball stadiums, along with guest lectures by people in and around the game, students will have the opportunity to understand a variety of different aspects of baseball and leadership that could not be gained from a book. This will include a trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame; interviews with players, coaches, management, and officials involved in various levels of professional baseball; interviews with fans, vendors, and others at games and museums; and group discussions of the experiences each person is having (all guest lectures/interviews subject to availability).
