America's Favorite Past-time

Only a few transplants in Danville enjoy baseball, at least professional baseball. Kentucky doesn’t have even have a team (but, we do have amazing college sports teams). Growing up 25 minutes outside of Philadelphia, I am an avid Phillies fan, and am sad that I am not surrounded by those who could celebrate the Phillies finally making it to the World Series. I resort to text messages and phone calls.

The Fall Classic is one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year. Well, at least for baseball fans. Fox is hosting the series, and introduces each game with a historical video that includes Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Barak Obama, and John McCain reading quotes from former presidents, all the while theme music from the movie Glory chimes in the background (a sample from the video can be seen here).

The video displayed baseball as one of the unifying forces of this country through the more challenging times. Quite interesting for the voices of Obama and McCain to join amid all of the seeming insolent jabs between the two. Good move.

The voices of Obama and McCain joined together to read the final quote, by John F. Kennedy:

“I think that both baseball and the country will endure.”

Among the quotes was an interesting one from Herbert Hoover:

"Next to religion, baseball has furnished a greater impact on American life than any other institution."

I chuckled at this one. And beside myself and a few others, I know a certain someone who might disagree.

What about the institution of the family??? Come on President Hoover. Yeah, baseball has had a role to impact American life, but without the family where would we be? I am shady on the literary context from this one, but it made me think of the here and now.

Beyond thoroughly enjoying each of the first 2 games of the World Series, I was peripherally reminded of the importance of family and its significant contribution as one of the unifying forces of this country through the more challenging times.



Go Phillies!