Abstract
The baseball is a game that has become a science to many. From the phenomena of a curve ball to the excitement of a home run physical science plays a factor. This paper explains that in baseball there is more to the game than what the ordinary fan sees, however, many scientists have spent time studying this extraordinary game. This paper looks at the physics behind hitting and pitching.

From the Paper
"In order to be successful in the game of baseball, a baseball player has to apply the laws of physics. There is more to the game than what people see. "Baseball is like church, many attend but few understand" said Wes Westrum, who coached the San Francisco Giants in 1962. A position player has to position himself according to the wind, the speed of the pitch being thrown, the type of pitch being thrown, the placement of the pitch, and the speed of the batter's swing. While a pitcher takes into account the humidity and the way the wind is blowing to determine the best way to put the batter out. All players rely on their quick reflexes and hand eye coordination to play our nation's pastime. In this brief essay I will discuss how the laws of physics apply to the game of baseball."

Tags:baseball, physics

Abstract
In this paper the author discusses whether the "Merchant of Venice" is a fairy tale, as exemplified by the romantic comedy genre, or a problem play. The author looks at the three themes he suggests run through the play: Prejudice, Loyalty and Love. He looks closely at the character of Shylock and how he has been depicted over time, from villain to someone who should be pitied and at the hypocrisy shown by the Christian characters; he examines the relationships between Antonio, Bassanio, Portia, Gratiano, Nerissa, Lorenzo, and Jessica and the resulting marriages and love is examined with respect to the platonic loyalty between friends and in the romantic exchanges between suitors and spouses.

From the paper:

"The theme of loyalty in the play comes out through the interactions of several sets of characters. First, there is Bassanio, who is close friends with Antonio --" friendship which survives many stressful situations in the play. The loyalty between Bassanio and Antonio becomes evident I the first act of the play when Antonio loans Bassanio a large sum of money and takes him on his word that he will repay it."

Tags:marlowe, jew, malta, barabas, shylock, play, anti-semitic, genre, comedy, themes, antonio, lorenzo, christianity, gratiano, jessica, bassanio, portia, pound, of, flesh, racism, prejudice, love, loyalty

Abstract
The paper discusses how watching and playing baseball is a long and proud tradition in Asheville, North Carolina. The paper relates that although baseball is popular at every level in Asheville, from the little league teams to the city's high school teams and the UNC-Asheville college team, the Tourists minor league team is perhaps the most beloved. The paper also notes the former Tourists players who have made it to the major leagues.

From the Paper
"Playing baseball and attending games at every level of competition is a long and proud tradition in Asheville, North Carolina. For more than one-hundred years, generations of Asheville youngsters have grown up playing baseball on the city's diamonds and many minor league players from all over the United States have played for the Asheville Tourists. Some have gone on to play baseball at the major league level, including Hall of Famers such as Willie Stargell, and legendary players such as Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig have played at McCormick Field in exhibition games."

Tags:league, players, t-ball

Abstract
In a recent book of essays about the national game, baseball, Robert Elias suggest that baseball has a major role in the American Dream and that it indeed represents that dream to a great extent, serving as a visible representation of both the successes and failures of the American way. Baseball on the one hand validates the notion of the self-made man and today demonstrates the racial and ethnic mobility that can take place in an egalitarian society while also emphasizing positive values such as honesty, fair play, wholesomeness.

From the Paper
Introduction In a recent book of essays about the national game, baseball, Robert Elias suggest that baseball has a major role in the American Dream and that it indeed represents that dream to a great extent, serving as a visible representation of both the successes and failures of the American way. Baseball on the one hand validates the notion of the self-made man and today demonstrates the racial and ethnic mobility that can take place in an egalitarian society while also emphasizing positive values such as honesty, fair play, wholesomeness. On the other hand, baseball has a less egalitarian side as it limits minority opportunities (or has in the past),

Tags:baseball, american, dream

Abstract
This paper explains that the notion of "deep play," play with multiple levels of anthropological and sociological significance, is demonstrated in both Balinese cockfighting and American baseball. The author points out that rituals are shaped in dialogue with culture and the difficulties humans experience, not for simple rewards. The paper relates that ritual creation may arise out of uncertainty, but it is a social and spiritual uncertainty, as well as an uncertainty of what actions will transpire.

From the Paper
"All of these rituals came after long years of baseball practice and performing well in a series of games. Although they might seem like purely mechanical and useless acts against he effects of chance "of bad weather, bad calls, or a cramp in the arm or leg" they might even be said, like the Andean coca chewing to have physical effects that positively impact the potential game. The caffeine in the iced tea, the coolness of the beverage, the buzz of the Beech-Nut Tobacco, even, in today's nutritionally conscious times, the Omega-3 fatty acids present in the tuna, in a perfect meld of protein and carbohydrate loading all have physical, albeit subtle affects upon the baseball player's physical as well as mental state. This is not to say that having an ice tea is the same as chewing a coca leaf. However, the physical aspects and effects of rituals created for the player in his own world have physical effects upon the player as well as analogs with the rituals that are generated in more communal and long-term cultural settings."

Tags:runa, cockfighting, ritual, baseball, uncertainty

Abstract
The paper looks at how the book "The Iowa Baseball Confederacy" continues the time honored tradition of superstition and myth by telling a fantastical tale of an Iowa exhibition baseball game played from July 4 to August 12, 1908 between the team called the Iowa Baseball Confederacy and the Chicago Cubs----a game that lasts for an incredible 2,614 innings. The paper relates how the author, W.P. Kinsella, tells the tale through Gideon Clarke, the protagonist who learns about the legendary game from his unusual father, Matthew. The paper describes how Matthew explains to Gideon that no record of the marathon-like game exists because of a great flood of biblical proportions that wiped out all evidence of the game.

From the Paper
"The game of baseball has always had an air of fantasy and mythology wrapped around the players and the game itself. Grown men are paid to play a game as if they are boys, "...Superstitious boys" (Grossfeld, 2007)."

Tags:baseball, superstition, iowa

Abstract
The paper describes various superstitions associated with baseball via a discussion of W.P. Kinsella's book, "The Iowa Baseball Confederacy". The paper first summarizes Kinsella's book and then goes on to discuss the many superstitions that abound in the game of baseball and explains how the main theme of the "The Iowa Baseball Confederacy" is about these superstitions.

Outline:
Introduction
Baseball and Superstition

From the Paper
"The book The Iowa Baseball Confederacy continues the time honored tradition of superstition and myth by telling a fantastical tale of an Iowa exhibition baseball game played from July 4 to August 12, 1908 between the team called the Iowa Baseball Confederacy and the Chicago Cubs----a game that lasts for an incredible 2,614 innings. The author, W.P. Kinsella, tells the tale through Gideon Clarke, the protagonist who learns about the legendary game from his unusual father, Matthew. Matthew explains to Gideon that no record of the marathon-like game exists because of a great flood of biblical proportions that wiped out all evidence of the game. The flood took with it the Iowa Baseball Confederacy, all of which were lost in a crack in time. All knowledge of the game becomes actualized in Gideon's brain after his father commits suicide at County Stadium in Milwaukee by purposely putting his head in the path of a mean foul line drive. This leads Gideon to discover the crack in time, sending him back to July 4, 1908, where each team is preparing to play the big inning. The Chicago Cub players in the book use retired numbers from actual team members, and President Theodore Roosevelt appears as one of the cameo players, as he strikes out waving a big stick. Another well-known player, Leonardo da Vinci, also appears in the game proclaiming that he, not Abner Doubleday, invented the game of baseball. He states, "Unfortunately....I lived in a nation of bocce players. It took 300 years for baseball to become popular. By that time, my name was no longer associated with it" . Another player, Black Angel of Death, a cemetery statue, plays right field and is able to catch fly balls with her sculpted wings and no glove. Some of the stars on the Iowa Confederacy team include, Shoo Fly, Husk, Frank Pierce, Henry Pulvermacher, and Arsenic O'Reilly, while on the Cubs team players include Chance, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and the pitcher Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown Other key characters include an ancient Indian warrior named Drifting Away, whose wife was murdered by White men."

Tags:baseball, superstition, Iowa

Abstract
Sucmacz stated that the idea for the use of information systems technology for Major League Baseball began in 1999, as Major League Baseball realized that it could benefit itself and all of the MLB teams if there were centralized website that would "replace individual independent team sites...be all things to all fans...and had the potential to generate revenue for its 30 teams" (1). In the beginning the it was believed that the idea of creating such a centralized website would not be universally accepted by all MLB teams because many of the popular teams were receiving their own revenue from their sites, while the smaller, less popular teams were not profiting from a web presence. Yet, the baseball commissioner and his staff presented the idea for a centralized website network to the team owners and managers with the theory that such a network would create a "balance" of revenue from the Internet that would be equally shared and support the growth of MLB (Sucmacz 2). Surprisingly all 30 teams agreed to the centralized network site, with MLB.com being created. The concept of the site included specifics that MLB believed would serve teams and fans alike, as well as build a positive business reputation for MLB.

From the Paper
Major League Baseball and Computer Technology Sucmacz stated that the idea for the use of information systems technology for Major League Baseball began in 1999, as Major League Baseball realized that it could benefit itself and all of the MLB teams if there were centralized website that would "replace individual independent team sites...be all things to all fans...and had the potential to generate revenue for its 30 teams" (1). In the beginning the it was believed that the idea of creating such a centralized website would not be universally accepted by all MLB teams because many of the popular teams were receiving their own revenue from their sites, while the smaller, less popular teams

Tags:baseball, major, league

Abstract
This paper looks at the global spread of baseball, an American pastime that is now gaining popularity all over the world. The paper describes international baseball federations, which are now in 106 different countries on five continents. The paper also discusses that teams other than American ones are winning at the Olympics. The paper concludes with predictions for the future of baseball.

From the Paper
"Many aspects of American entertainment, from sports to movies, popular TV shows to music, have become global in popularity in recent years. Many countries now have their own national culture and one which embraces movies television, programs, music and..."

Tags:baseball, global spread