Emergence of Baseball - World Civilization, History Essay

Emergence of Baseball - World Civilization, History - Essay Example 251). In this regard, the current essay aims to present the ways by which the game of baseball apparently reflected the realities of American life during its early years. The exact origin of baseball was identified to as early as the 1700s where a sport reportedly known as â€Å"base†, â€Å"base ball† or â€Å"goal ball† (Baker, 1997, p. 253) exemplified the framework for contemporary baseball. Its growth and popularity as a professional game was identified to have been fathered by Alexander Cartwright in 1845 (Baker, 1997, p. 253). During these early years, American life manifests a preponderance to activity, fast pace, a focus on industrialization and urbanization, consistent with overall economic development. The sport which was considered team sports was the perfect epitome of American life in terms of â€Å"reflecting the nationalistic, patriotic tendencies of the age†¦ (where) individuals found a sense of self-importance as parts of a larger whole† (Baker, 1997, p. 251). As America was exhibiting leads and gaining grounds for economic development and growth, the factors that likewise provided the impetus for se lecting a preferred sports that mirrored American life was reported to include the following: (1) increasing wages and a five-day work week; (2) technological advancement and development that enhanced the design, easy access, and availability of sports equipment; and (3) sports areas that conveniently housed spectators and players in various time frames (Baker, 1997, p. 252). Upon closer review, it could be deduced that American life veered away from rural and agricultural endeavors to industrialized and urbanized activities. The increasing income of households, in conjunction with more leisure time, enabled people to spend on alternative ways for entertainment and sports. Likewise, the popularity of watching a