Baseball And American Culture

Baseball and American Culture

Starter Questions
What is baseball?
Have you ever played baseball?
Baseball is sometimes called “America’s pastime”; what do you think this means?
What countries enjoy playing baseball?
Where is baseball popular in China?

Introduction to Baseball

Basic Rules of Baseball
During a game, teams take turns playing offense and defense
Offensive teams
Try to hit the ball as far as they can
Run players around the bases to score points
Defensive players
Throw the ball
Try to catch a hit ball or touch offensive players to get them out
Strikes and outs
Players can swing three times at the ball before going out
If a ball is caught after hitting, the player is out
If a player is touched by another player with the ball, he is out
After three outs, the teams switch sides
The game is divided into nine innings, and each inning is a chance for both teams to score

Four Basic Baseball Tools
The ball
The mitt – a glove worn by defensive players
The bat – a wooden, metal, or composite stick used by offensive players to hit the ball
Helmets or masks to protect players from being hit in the face

The Baseball Diamond

Major League Baseball (MLB)
In the US and Canada, professional baseball play is organized into a league
MLB is to baseball what the NBA is to basketball
MLB is big business
There are 30 teams
They play 162 games yearly
Revenues of $6 billion
MLB’s championship is called the World Series

Little League
Little League is a popular form of baseball play among young people
Little League teams can be organized at schools around the world
Little League’s championship is also called the World Series
The US dominates, but Taiwan and Japan are also strong players

Baseball as Cultural Leader

Overview
During the early 1900s, baseball was the main American spectator sport
People not only went to see baseball but also watched baseball movies and collected baseball cards
Baseball also has a longer recorded history in the media than any other sport
It led to the tendency to build big stadiums in Central Business Districts and opened the door for other sports
The game is still popular today but is usually in third place behind American football and basketball
Baseball lost popularity in the 1980s and 1990s because of scandals and because of baseball strikes

Cultural Impact of Baseball
Baseball players became some of the first media stars in the US
When Jackie Robinson became a baseball star, it was a step towards ending racism in America
Even though baseball is less popular today, it has a strong influence on American language

Baseball Idioms in American Business English

To play ball
In baseball, the start of the game
In business, to do business with someone
Usage:
I’d like to play ball with you, but I don’t have the resources right now.
I think we can play ball. Let me talk to my partner.

Pitch
In baseball, a pitch is when the ball is thrown
In business, a pitch is an argument in favor of something
Usage:
His sales pitch was really weak.
I liked his pitch. I think we should go with his product.

To throw sb. a curveball
In baseball, a curveball is a special pitch that curves away from the batter and is hard to hit
In business (or life), a curveball is an unpleasant surprise
Usage:
The teacher really threw us a curveball with that test yesterday!
My boss threw me a curveball when he said I needed to rewrite my report.

To come out of left field
In baseball, the field is divided left, right, and center
In business (and life), when someone comes out of left field, it’s unusual and unexpected
Usage:
His proposal totally came out of left field, but our boss still liked it.
I don’t like it when things come out of left field. I want to know what’s going on.

Ballpark figure
In baseball, the ballpark is where baseball is played
In business (life), a ballpark figure is a guess
Usage:
He gave me a ballpark figure for a new computer: 7,500RMB.
I dislike ballpark figures; give me precise numbers!

Out of sb.’s ballpark
In baseball, when a ball leaves the ballpark, the other team cannot catch it
In business (life), something out of one’s ballpark is too expensive
Usage:
I’d like to buy a new house, but unfortunately Tianjin prices are out of the ballpark for me.
Sorry, but 10,000RMB per unit is out of the ballpark for us.

To go to bat
In baseball, when a player goes to bat, he/she takes a turn trying to score points
In business, to go to bat for someone means to help someone out
Usage:
He really went to bat for me by helping with my PowerPoint yesterday.
I don’t think I can go to bat for you this time. I’m just too busy!

To step up to the plate
In baseball, to step up to the plate means to take a chance at hitting the ball (similar to go to bat)
In business, to step up to the plate means to take on new responsibility
Usage:
Catherine stepped up to the plate as our new regional manager this week.
I thought I was ready to step up to the plate, but now I think I’m not suitable for a management job.

Minor/Bush league
In baseball, the minor (bush) leagues are the semi-professional leagues where players play
In business, to say someone or something is minor (bush) league is to say they’re not famous
Usage:
He may still be bush league in our company, but he’s rising fast.
Many famous companies in China are still minor league players in the West.

Major/Big league
In baseball, the major (or big) leagues are the professional leagues where players play
In business, major (or big) league is used to refer to someone or something famous or to refer to a higher level of performance
Usage:
We have a major league client coming into town this weekend.
Congratulations on joining our company. You’ll see you’re in the big leagues now.

To drop the ball
In baseball, when the defending team drops the ball, it gives the other team a chance to score
In business, to drop the ball is to make a big mistake
Usage:
You really dropped the ball on the project this week. You’d better work overtime to get it done!
Don’t drop the ball during the meeting or our client will have a bad impression of our company.

To play hardball
In baseball, “hardball” is another way to call a baseball; a “softball” is larger and the game (softball) is easier
In business, to play hardball means to be serious and aggressive, especially in negotiations
Usage:
My boss tried to play hardball with me, but in the end he agreed to give me a raise.
Be careful when talking to the Japanese. They really like to play hardball.

Three strikes
In baseball, three strikes makes a player out, and three outs means the teams switch sides
In business (and life), we say three strikes to show that someone has made too many mistakes; we may also count the strikes (one … two … three)
Usage:
Losing that client was your third strike. I don’t think you’ll have a future in our company.
Son, you already have two strikes, so you’d better behave!

Home run
In baseball, a home run happens when a player hits the ball well enough to run from home base, around the diamond, and back home
In business, a home run is when someone’s performance is really great
Usage:
You really hit a home run during your presentation today!
Apple’s new Ipod has been a home run this quarter.

To knock one out of the park
In baseball, to knock one out of the park is to get an automatic home run since the ball cannot be caught
In business, to knock one out of the park is to give an outstanding performance
Usage:
Smith’s project team really knocked one out of the park this week.
You knocked one out of the park with your sales figures. Great job!

Batting a thousand
In baseball, an RBI is a ratio to show how each player is at hitting the ball
A player with an RBI of .500 hits the ball half of the time
A player with an RBI of .781 hits the ball 78.1% of the time
But a player with an RBI of 1.000 hits the ball 100% of the time; this is called batting a thousand
In business, batting a thousand means to do a perfect job
Usage:
You’re batting a thousand today! Don’t stop!
For a time, it seemed like Dell was batting a thousand, but now many criticize the company’s support services.

To have all one’s bases covered
In baseball, when the defending team has all the bases covered, they’re able to keep the other team from scoring
In business, to have all one’s bases covered is to be prepared for anything
Usage:
Make sure you have all the bases covered before you go on the trip.
Don’t worry about our meeting today. I’ve got all the bases covered.

To touch base
In baseball, a player who touches base cannot be tagged out by the defending team
In business, to touch base means to share important information
Usage:
We’ll touch base during tomorrow’s meeting.
Touch base with me first before you leave on your trip.

A rain check
In baseball, a rain check was originally a special ticket given when a person bought a ticket but couldn’t go to a game for reasons such as bad weather
In business (and life), a rain check is a second chance to follow up on an offer for a date or meeting
Usage:
I can’t make the dinner tonight. Can I get a rain check?

Whole new ball game
In baseball, the sports announcer may say “It’s a whole new ball game” when the score changes dramatically and the losing team takes the lead
In business (and life), we may call a change in situation (or rules) a whole new ball game
Usage:
We’re successful in Europe, but Asia is a whole new ball game.
With the new president and new laws, doing business in the country is a whole new ball game.