Baseball and Rhetorics of Purity

The National Pastime and American Identity During the War on Terror

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Language Arts, Communication
Cover of the book Baseball and Rhetorics of Purity by Michael L. Butterworth, University of Alabama Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Michael L. Butterworth ISBN: 9780817383978
Publisher: University of Alabama Press Publication: November 12, 2010
Imprint: University Alabama Press Language: English
Author: Michael L. Butterworth
ISBN: 9780817383978
Publisher: University of Alabama Press
Publication: November 12, 2010
Imprint: University Alabama Press
Language: English

Baseball has long been considered America’s “national pastime,” touted variously as a healthy diversion, a symbol of national unity, and a model of democratic inclusion. But, according to Michael Butterworth, such favorable rhetoric belies baseball’s complicity in the rhetorical construction of a world defined by good and evil. 

Baseball and Rhetorics of Purity is an investigation into the culture and mythology of baseball, a study of its limits and failures, and an invitation to remake the game in a more democratic way. It pays special attention to baseball’s role in the reconstruction of American identity after September 11, 2001. This study is framed by a discussion that links the development of baseball to the discourses of innocence and purity in 19th-century America. From there, it examines ritual performances at baseball games; a traveling museum exhibit sponsored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum; the recent debate about the use of performance-enhancing drugs; the return of Major League Baseball to Washington, D.C., in 2005; and the advent of the World Baseball Classic in 2006. 

Butterworth argues that by promoting myths of citizenship and purity, post-9/11 discourse concerning baseball ironically threatens the health of the democratic system and that baseball cannot be viewed as an innocent diversion or escape. Instead, Butterworth highlights how the game on the field reflects a more complex and diverse worldview, and makes a plea for the game’s recovery, both as a national pastime and as a site for celebrating the best of who we are and who we can be. 

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Baseball has long been considered America’s “national pastime,” touted variously as a healthy diversion, a symbol of national unity, and a model of democratic inclusion. But, according to Michael Butterworth, such favorable rhetoric belies baseball’s complicity in the rhetorical construction of a world defined by good and evil. 

Baseball and Rhetorics of Purity is an investigation into the culture and mythology of baseball, a study of its limits and failures, and an invitation to remake the game in a more democratic way. It pays special attention to baseball’s role in the reconstruction of American identity after September 11, 2001. This study is framed by a discussion that links the development of baseball to the discourses of innocence and purity in 19th-century America. From there, it examines ritual performances at baseball games; a traveling museum exhibit sponsored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum; the recent debate about the use of performance-enhancing drugs; the return of Major League Baseball to Washington, D.C., in 2005; and the advent of the World Baseball Classic in 2006. 

Butterworth argues that by promoting myths of citizenship and purity, post-9/11 discourse concerning baseball ironically threatens the health of the democratic system and that baseball cannot be viewed as an innocent diversion or escape. Instead, Butterworth highlights how the game on the field reflects a more complex and diverse worldview, and makes a plea for the game’s recovery, both as a national pastime and as a site for celebrating the best of who we are and who we can be. 

More books from University of Alabama Press

Cover of the book Memoirs of the Civil War by Michael L. Butterworth
Cover of the book Framing Public Memory by Michael L. Butterworth
Cover of the book Sephardim in the Americas by Michael L. Butterworth
Cover of the book Woodland Period Systematics in the Middle Ohio Valley by Michael L. Butterworth
Cover of the book The Pinochet Generation by Michael L. Butterworth
Cover of the book The Paleoindian and Early Archaic Southeast by Michael L. Butterworth
Cover of the book People, Plants, and Landscapes by Michael L. Butterworth
Cover of the book Looking for Lost Lore by Michael L. Butterworth
Cover of the book Osceola's Legacy by Michael L. Butterworth
Cover of the book Theatre History Studies 2015, Vol. 34 by Michael L. Butterworth
Cover of the book Negro Education in Alabama by Michael L. Butterworth
Cover of the book Choctaw Prophecy by Michael L. Butterworth
Cover of the book Nancy Batson Crews by Michael L. Butterworth
Cover of the book Intricate Thicket by Michael L. Butterworth
Cover of the book Anthropologists and Indians in the New South by Michael L. Butterworth
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy