Roger I. Abrams

"A more complete picture of baseball behaviors can tell us much beyond the heroics of a few fine atheletes. It can tell us a rich story of a complex continental nation that was founded in liberty for some and slavery for others, that strove to find gold in individual achievement and in coordinated thievery, and that ultimately emerged on he world stage in the twentieth century as a boisterous adolescent convinced of its destiny. Baseball was our mantra because, in the minds of many, it symbolized a nation where joint effort and individual excellence wer rewarded. It was also a game where reules were broken unless the umpires saw the transgressions.

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Baseball was designed in the beginning as a pure and healthy exercise and it has provided entertainment to the American public for a century and a half. Over that expanse of time, the game demonstrated the American character to its multitude of fans. We hoped that baseball would teach our youngsters about resourcefulness and fortitude, adherence to rules and authority, teamwork and pride. At the same time, however, it taught the next generation about partisan rivalries, violence, disparagement, cheating, and human frailty. It resonated with the full context of American society, and it has told us much about whom we were and whom we are today, " - p. 32.