One of the first movies I remember seeing in a theater was “Gettysburg” with my dad in 1993.
I didn’t understand what it was all about at the time, mainly because I was 7 years old. But my dad was a big war and history buff. On that day, I became one, too. The Civil War was a big moment in American history, but it wasn’t where it started.
Today, America marks its 250th anniversary of being founded.
There will be fireworks and cookouts, all the hot dogs and hamburgers you want. There will be a few World Cup games, and all 30 MLB teams will be in action throughout the day. You can say “America’s Pastime” isn’t the true pastime anymore, and while I tend to agree, there’s just something about baseball on the Fourth of July that takes you back. At least for me.
I remember the days of playing little league growing up. It was just a special time of baseball followed by fireworks at the park with ice cream. Moments like those are why I love the game of baseball. Ice cream and fireworks are close behind.
Today will be a day of celebration with parades happening throughout the country as we battle the heat. Then, as the sun sets and the sky lights up across neighborhoods and cities galore, baseball will still be playing.
But it’s not just America’s birthday. It’s also baseball’s birthday — well, I guess Major League Baseball.
Historians date the MLB starting with the formation of the National League in 1876, with the American League coming 25 years later in 1901.
Those first 100 years of America had some growing pains — see 1812 and 1861 to 1865 — but didn’t we all in our early years? I believe everyone can agree that growing up can be an adventure.
I mean baseball had its own problems early on like the 1916 “Black Sox” and the “Curse of the Bambino,” which began after 1920. I know the later is debatable, depending on who you ask. Regardless of where you stand on that, one has to agree that baseball and America are just entwined together.
Then America enters World War II; baseball halts as players throughout the league enlist or are called to duty.
Jackie Robinson makes his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Seven years later, Brown vs. the Board of Education decision started school integration, followed by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
History is why I believe baseball became America’s pastime because no matter what was going on in day-to-day life, baseball was there. And it was doing the same thing over and over again.
I used to joke that you could leave your set and miss an inning, but you wouldn’t miss much of the game. It’s still three up and three down. Thankfully, things like the pitch clock were brought in to help speed up the game. Again, that’s debatable, depending on who you ask.
But as change goes in baseball, so does change happen in America. In a way, baseball has been a testing ground or focus group for America. While the invention of baseball is debated from Alexander Cartwright in 1846 to Abner Doubleday, what we have now is what started back then.
When you’re watching a game or watching fireworks, know you’re a part of history. History that goes back many years — from 250 years for the United States to 150 for professional baseball, it’s been an adventure.
Happy Birthday, America. Happy Fourth of July to you.