Summer 2009
POLS 414 Law, Politics & Baseball
“Whoever wants to know the heart and mind
of
Baseball is
The field trips
are central to understanding and experiencing the course material. For example,
in our section on racial segregation we will read representative court cases,
legislation, and regulations that kept blacks and whites formally separated
both in society as a whole and in the game of baseball in particular. Wrigley
Field is one of the few remaining baseball locations of racial segregation as
Negro League teams were shut out of the venue until May 24, 1942 when 29,775
fans watched Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Monarchs battle a white team led
by former major league pitcher Dizzy Dean. The Cubs were the first team to hire
an African-American coach—Buck O’Neil in 1962—and in our trip to Wrigley we
will experience the extent of modern-day diversity among the players, coaches,
and fans. Similarly, our trip to U.S. Cellular Field will be primarily based on
our section concerning baseball as a business. We will read the controversial
Supreme Court rulings that defined baseball as a game, purely local in
character and therefore not subject to government regulation. At the ballpark
we will experience the extent to which the “game” is a national, commercial enterprise
from advertising, visiting teams from other states, and television broadcasts.
In short, the field trips will provide a unique experiential learning component
to the more theoretical readings and discussion we will have concerning our two
major course themes: racial segregation and government regulation of the
economy.
Consistent with
the recommendations of the Spring 2008 College of Liberal Arts & Science
On-line Faculty Institute, this is a “blended” course consisting of roughly 50%
face-to-face meetings and 50% on-line work. Therefore, much of the course
content will be delivered on-line: lectures, discussion board, exams, etc.
Face-to-face meetings will consist of field trips and discussions. This blended
environment is an attempt to take advantage of the learning flexibility,
convenience, and geographical freedom that an on-line course offers while
reserving high-energy, interactive, face-to-face time where most
appropriate.
On-line course availability: 24
hours, 7 days-a-week
Face-to-face meetings: Saturday
afternoons
Instructor:
Artemus Ward
E-mail: aeward@niu.edu – Best way to reach me.
Office Hours: By
appointment: talk to me before or after class or send me an e-mail and we’ll
set something up.
Required
Texts:
Abrams, Roger I. 1998. Legal Bases: Baseball and the Law.
Goldman, Robert M. 2008. One Man Out: Curt Flood Versus Baseball.
University Press of
Lanctot, Neil. 2008. Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of
a Black Institution.
Zimbalist, Andrew. 2004. May the Best Team Win: Baseball Economics
and Public Policy. Brookings Institution Press. ISBN-10: 081579729X.
Recommended
Texts:
Hogan, Lawrence D. 2006. Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the
Story of African-American Baseball. National Geographic. ISBN-10: 079225306X.
Jozsa, Frank P., Jr.
2006. Baseball, Inc.: The National
Pastime as Big Business. McFarland & Co. ISBN-10: 0786425342.
Klein, Alan M. 2006. Growing the Game: The Globalization of Major
League Baseball.
Peterson, Robert. 1992. Only the Ball Was White: A History of Legendary
Black Players and All-Black Professional Teams.
Tygiel, Jules. 2001. Past Time: Baseball as History.
Tygiel,
Jules. 2008. Baseball’s Great Experiment:
Jackie Robinson and His Legacy.
Zimbalist, Andrew. 1994. Baseball and Billions: A Probing Look Inside the Business of Our National Pastime. Basic Books. ISBN-10: 0465006159.
Course Requirements:
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On-Line
Participation Each student is required to go on-line each week through Blackboard, read the messages posted to the discussion board, and post at least one (and not more than two or three) messages of your own about that week’s course material and/or current events that relate to the course. You are required to do this each week by Sunday night. |
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Term Paper
& Report Choose one of
the following topics and write a 3-4 pp. research paper. Pay particular
attention to the role the individual or place played in at least one of our
two course themes: race and business. In addition to consulting the course
materials you must have at least four bibliographic sources (books, articles,
websites). You will turn in your paper and give a brief oral report on the
due date listed.
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Field
Observation Papers An important part of learning is
experience. In this course you are required to participate (attend, observe,
and interact in) aspects of the baseball experience that relate to course themes.
We will attend baseball games, tour ballparks, and visit other
baseball-related sites. The field observation
must address four topics: 1)
The people
you observed noting their demographic characteristics, behavior, rhetoric,
and emotion, if any that are exhibited; 2)
the setting
(what is important about the location, what would be different if the event
took place in a different location/setting); 3)
the process
(what took place, how, and why); 4)
and a
discussion of how what you observed relates to the course material (lecture,
readings, films, etc.). Toward this end, you must discuss our assigned
readings where appropriate. “A” papers cover all
four topics well. “B” papers cover three of the four topics. “C” papers cover
two of the four topics. This write-up should be 3-4 pages long (typed double-spaced).
All papers are due at the end of the course. Check the syllabus for the due
date. Paper #1 – Baseball and
Race Observe the diversity
(or lack thereof) at the ballparks among the fans, players, coaching
staffs/managers, and those that work at the ballpark. Considering that
baseball was once legally segregated, has progress been made to desegregate
the sport? Toward this end, you will want to do some independent research on
the background of the players for the teams you observed. If you are
ambitious, consider doing some research on the owners and front-office
executives of the teams. Paper #2 – The Business
of Baseball Observe the extent to
which baseball is a business and specifically and national business as
opposed to a purely state or local enterprise. Pay attention to advertising,
broadcasting, and the teams and players themselves. Should baseball’s
antitrust exemption be lifted? Toward this end, you will want to do some
independent research on the financial aspects of baseball including revenue
from broadcasting, salaries of the players, and the overall economic behavior
of the teams you observed. |
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Final
Exam There will be one final exam. It will
be an objective test consisting of multiple choice and true/false questions
about the course material and largely based on the readings/lectures. There
will be 25 questions and you will have 30 minutes maximum to complete the
exam once you start. It will be available through Blackboard for a 24-hour
period. Make sure you use a reliable computer to take the exam. The exam
cannot be made up under any circumstances. |
Grading System:
Final
grades will be determined by the following scale:
90-100 = A
80-89 = B
70-79 = C
60-69 = D
0-59 = F
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... |
% of Total Grade |
|
On-Line
Participation |
10% |
|
Term Paper
& Report |
20% |
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Field
Observation & Report #1 |
20% |
|
Field
Observation & Report #2 |
20% |
|
Final Exam |
30% |
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Total= |
100% |
1.
Extracurricular Activities – It is your responsibility to notify me in advance
of any activities that will disrupt your course participation. If your
activities make it impossible for you to fully participate in this course, you
should consider withdrawing.
2. Late Work –
Anything turned in late will be marked down one-third grade for every day it is
overdue. Exceptions are made only in the most extraordinary circumstances and I
will require some sort of documentation to make any accommodation.
3. Cheating
and Plagiarism – Students cheating and plagiarizing will fail the assignment on
which they have committed the infraction and will be referred to the
appropriate judicial board for disciplinary action. The submission of any work
by a student is taken as guarantee that the thoughts and expressions in it are
the student’s own except when properly credited to another. Violations of this
principle include giving or receiving aid in an exam or where otherwise
prohibited, fraud, plagiarism, or any other deceptive act in connection with
academic work. Plagiarism is the representation of another’s words, ideas,
opinions, or other products of work as one’s own, either overtly or by failing
to attribute them to their true source.
4.
Undergraduate Writing Awards – The Department of Political Science will
recognize, on an annual basis, outstanding undergraduate papers written in
conjunction with 300-400 level political science courses or directed studies.
Authors do not have to be political science majors or have a particular class
standing. Winners are expected to attend the Department’s spring graduation
ceremony where they will receive a certificate and $50.00. Papers, which can be
submitted by students or faculty, must be supplied in triplicate to a
department secretary by the end of February. All copies should have two cover
pages – one with the student’s name and one without the student’s name. Only
papers written in the previous calendar can be considered for the award.
However, papers completed in the current spring semester are eligible for the
following year’s competition even if the student has graduated.
5. Statement
Concerning Students with Disabilities – Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, NIU is committed to making reasonable accommodations for persons
with documented disabilities. Those students with disabilities that may have
some impact on their coursework and for which they may require accommodations
should notify the Center for Access-Ability Resources (CAAR) on the fourth
floor of the
6. Department
of Political Science Web Site – Undergraduates are strongly encouraged to
consult the Department of Political Science web site on a regular basis. This
up-to-date, central source of information will assist students in contacting
faculty and staff, reviewing course requirements and syllabi, exploring
graduate study, researching career options, tracking department events, and
accessing important details related to undergraduate programs and activities.
To reach the site, go to http://polisci.niu.edu.
Week
1
Sat May
16 In-Class Meeting, NIU-Naperville Campus, 1pm
·
Introduction, syllabus review, using Blackboard
·
Film excerpts from Ken Burns’ Baseball (1994): Inning 1: “Our Game” 1840s-1900 (115 min.)
Recommended viewing: Ken
Burns’ Baseball (1994):
·
Inning 2:
“Something Like a War” 1900-1910 (107 min.)
·
Inning 3: “The
Faith of Fifty Million People” 1910-1920 (120 min.)
·
Inning 4: “A
National Heirloom” 1920-1930 (117 min.)
·
Inning 5:
“Shadow Ball” 1930-1940 (126 min.)
·
Inning 6:
“The National Pastime” 1940-1950 (151 min.)
·
Inning 7:
“The Capital of Baseball” 1950-1960 (134 min.)
·
Inning 8: “A
Whole New Ballgame” 1960-1970 (116 min.)
·
Inning 9:
“Home” 1970-Present (148 min.)
Week
2
Sat May
23 Meet at Wrigley Field: 90-minute Tour including Cubs Clubhouse, Press Box,
Visitor’s Clubhouse, Bleachers, Dugouts, On Deck Circles, and Mezzanine Suites.
Cameras are welcome. Tour begins at 1pm. We will have a brief discussion after
the tour ends as we walk around the exterior of the park. Meet at the Wrigley
Field front gate (corner of Addison and Clark) at least ten minutes prior to
the start of the tour. For those who are interested, we can meet at 11:30am for
lunch at Harry Caray’s Tavern Wrigleyville: http://www.harrycaraystavern.com/ which
is located just south of Addison and
Note:
You can park for free until 6pm on the neighborhood streets around the park on
this day.
Lecture: Origins and
Birth of Baseball (on-line)
Lecture:
Foundations of Racial Discrimination
·
Lanctot: Preface and Part I (Ch. 1-6).
Week
3
Sat May 30 Meet at Wrigley Field:
Note: Parking is
available in private lots around the ballpark for roughly $20-$40 but there are
public transportation and park & ride options available. Directions and
information: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/ballpark/directions.jsp
Required:
Lecture:
Negro League Baseball
Lecture: Breaking the Color Barrier
·
Lanctot: Part II (Ch. 7-11).
·
Abrams:
Recommended
·
Plessy
v. Ferguson, 163
Week 4
Sat Jun 6 Meet at
Note: Parking is $23 (lots
open at 1:05pm) but there are public transportation and park & ride options
available. Directions and information: http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/cws/ballpark/driving_directions.jsp
·
South Side Park (aka Schorling’s Park): home of the White Sox
from 1900-1910, it was located on the
north side of 39th Street (now called Pershing Road) between South Wentworth
Avenue and South Princeton Avenue. The White Stockings (Cubs) also played here
from 1891-1893. It was home to the Chicago American Giants of the Negro League
from 1911-1940 when it was destroyed by fire. The American Giants would play
their remaining 10 seasons at
· Comiskey Park (aka White Sox Park) (1910-1990): home of the White Sox located just north of the U.S. Cellular Field at 35th Street & Shields Ave. The Chicago American Giants also played here from 1941-1952.
·
Lecture:
Baseball Monopoly
·
Abrams: “Introduction”; Ch. 1 “The Legal Process at the Birth of
Baseball: John Montgomery ‘Monte’ Ward”; Ch. 2 “The Enforcement of Contracts:
Napoleon ‘Nap’ Lajoie”;
·
Zimbalist: “Preface,” Ch. 1 “Introduction: Cause for Concern,” Ch. 2
“Baseball’s Presumed Antitrust Exemption.”
·
Goldman:
Week
5
Sat Jun
13 Downtown Baseball Tour. Meet at 1pm at the Billy Goat Tavern Original. Near the
·
Union Base-Ball Grounds (aka White-Stocking
Park) (1871): a small block bounded
on the west by
·
23rd Street
Grounds (aka
State Street Grounds) (1872-1877): The White Stockings did not field a team for
two years after the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, after renting out the facility to
other teams, the White Stockings began playing here in 1874. The grounds was on a block bounded by 23rd Street,
State Street, 22nd Street (now Cermak Road) and what is now Federal Street with
the diamond on the north end of the park facing south from home plate. Cermak/Chinatown El
stop.
·
·
·
West Side Park II (1893-1915): The
second West Side Park, where the White Stockings played, was a few blocks west-southwest of the first one; on a
larger block bounded by Taylor, Wood, Polk and Lincoln (now Wolcott) Streets.
The site is now occupied by the University of Illinois Medical Center. Polk El
stop.
Lecture:
Curt Flood
·
Abrams:
·
Goldman: “Preface”;
Week
6
Sat Jun 20 At 1pm meet at Oak
Woods Cemetery, the final resting place of baseball luminaries and other
notables.
Location:
Map:
http://www.museumoffamilyhistory.com/oak-woods-chi.jpg
·
·
·
Ted “Double Duty”
Radcliffe (Linden Hill Section, J2,
Lecture:
The Modern Business of Baseball
Lecture:
The Future of Baseball
·
Abrams:
·
Zimbalist: Zimbalist:
Field
Observation Papers Due Today.
Final
exam will be available
on-line for a 24-hour period starting at the end of class.
