Baseball: The National Pastime
When our daughters were young, I heard them through the dining room window as they played in the small back yard. "Where's fifth base?" "I don't know, just put it down over there." Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, I called my Father and told him what I had just heard. In that day's mail, he sent the PBS series, "Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns", to his granddaughters. This page is dedicated to all students, like The Girls, who've never been to a baseball game and/or don't know the basics of the game. There must be one or two others out there. Somewhere.
Baseball has two teams of nine players each, three bases and a home plate in the shape of a diamond, an outfield and an infield, and loud fans. The positions of the nine men are pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, shortshop, third baseman, left fielder, center fielder, and right fielder. A game usually consists of nine innings. An inning consists of three outs for each of the two teams. There is a small "stretch" in the middle of the seventh inning, when fans are allowed to stand up and stretch. (That's why it's called the seventh-inning stretch.) Three strikes make an out. Four balls let the batter "walk" to first base. A homerun is when the batter hits the ball and runs all the way around the bases, ending up back at home plate, before the other team can get him out. The catcher wears a mask because it would hurt if the ball hit him in the face.
If any of this is new to you, then you need to visit a baseball game (even your local high school) at least once. You should definitely go with someone who knows what's going on. After that, you should both come home and watch the Ken Burns series. Just click on the picture above this paragraph, and you'll find yourself on the PBS website portion that's devoted to the Baseball series. (Before you begin watching the flick, be sure to read the "About the Film" on there.) Also, there's a great Teacher's area and timeline, and the quiz is fun. The nine-part film should be readily available at your public library or through an inter-library loan.
Seriously, this video series is the best thing to happen to Baseball since peanuts and hot dogs (food commonly sold at major-league games). If you're interested in Baseball, there will be plenty on there that you've never heard or seen before. If you're interested in History, then this is absolutely a must-see. It is one of the best documentaries of American History of all time. There is a companion book that's worth a read, too. Just search for the same name in your library's book catalogue.
And, you are not allowed to leave this page, until you've watched Abbott & Costello do their famous "Who's on First". Just click on the picture in the middle column of this page, and hold on to your hats.