TELEVISION

Play Ball! The Rise of Baseball as America's Pastime

Series: Play Ball! The Rise of Baseball as America's Pastime
4.3
(3)
sign up
Episodes
24
Rating
TVPG
Year
2021
Language
English
Publisher
The Great Courses

About

Every time you watch baseball, you're participating in the latest chapter of a compelling story that goes back hundreds of years. In 24 lectures that paint a portrait of the sport's remarkable past and take you from the decades before the Civil War to the pivotal year of 1920, Play Ball! The Rise of Baseball as America's Pastime strikes a perfect balance between sports lore and cultural history.

Related Subjects

Episodes

1 to 3 of 24

1. Ground Rules: Baseball before Babe Ruth

29m

sign up
The year 1920 is considered a pivotal year in baseball, when a sense of uniformity in the game was finally achieved. But what about the decades before? Travel back to the years before 1920 - a time when changes in the game were rapid, dramatic, and often surprising.

2. Early Bat and Ball Games

30m

sign up
Take a look back at the very beginnings of baseball and discover how and why the early version of the game evolved in the middle of the 19th century. Learn how early clubs like the Gothams and the Knickerbockers helped repurpose a familiar child's game so it could be played by urban adults.

3. The Era of Amateur Baseball Clubs

32m

sign up
Explore the rise of amateur baseball clubs in the United States. The tour starts with Brooklyn's Eckford Club, whose outings primarily served as refreshing countryside excursions. Then, go back still further to follow the rise of the Knickerbocker Club of New York City and the significance of their 1845 decision to write down the rules of the game.

4. The Dawn of Professional Baseball

32m

sign up
In this episode, learn how the game of baseball moved toward professionalism - and what made professionalization so polarizing. Central to this episode is future Hall of Famer Harry Wright, who helped pave the way for professional baseball's success by assembling a talented group of players (and touting their refinement and decorum).

5. Baseball's Many Leagues and Associations

32m

sign up
Learn how, after a tumultuous three decades, baseball finally found a formula for 20th-century success: leagues and associations. Topics include the transformations of minor leagues into major ones, the competitive relationships between leagues, and the national agreement of 1883 that paved the way for what became known as "organized baseball."

6. How Baseball Created the World Series

32m

sign up
One effective way to increase public confidence in the outcome of competitive baseball? Offer a valuable prize to the winners. Chart the turbulent evolution of the post-season series: a story filled with controversy, sabotage, peace agreements, and injuries, culminating in the first World Series between the Boston Americans and the National League Pirates.

Extended Details

  • Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

The Great Coursesdirector
The Great Coursesproducer
Bruce Markusenactor