Degree Year

2017

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Advisor(s)

Daphne John
Jay Ashby

Keywords

Race, Ethnicity, Baseball

Abstract

Baseball is America’s Pastime. When looking at its history in our modern day, it is difficult to imagine the racism and hate, which will always remain implanted in the roots of the game. From the Negro Leagues of 1920, to the racism surrounding Roberto Clemente, Hispanic players, and other racial minorities, the struggles of the past will never be forgotten. Although its history was filled with periods of adversity, the current inclusive state that baseball currently presents is truly remarkable. Analyzing these positive trends toward racial inclusion overtime will be the main focus of this independent major honors research project. In addition, understanding where the sport has come from, its current state, and attempting to predict the future will be extremely important aspects for deeper analysis. Individual baseball icons that opened the door for the current racial minority participants such as Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, and Masanori Murakami will all be discussed in order to understand baseball’s true pastime. Current events including the World Baseball Classic, the Little League World Series dominance of Asian teams, and the 2016 Tampa Bay Rays trip to Cuba are other areas of investigation to show how the culture has changed in the 20th century. Finally, this project will predict the future of baseball to fully process the impacts that these athletes and key events have had on the sport. As a result of the increased racial inclusion over time, will racism in baseball decrease? Will coaching staffs be primarily composed of racial minorities so they that they will be able to relate and communicate with their players? Will Major League Baseball (MLB) expand to other countries other than the United States and Canada? With the way the sport is progressing in our modern day society, the possibilities are endless.

Notes

Bachelor of Arts, Individual Major.

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