The late paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould has added yet another opus to the canon of baseball as American religion in the form of a new book (just published posthumously).

Actually it does look like a good read. It debunks some myths (like Doubleday's "invention" of the game) plus includes his memories of growing up a Yankee fan, and having to cope with spending much of his time later in life in enemy territory -- Harvard. He offers some interesting comments: "Mr. Gould argues that the disappearance of .400 hitting (no one has hit .400 since Ted Williams reached .406 in 1941) is directly related to the overall improvement in playing: "Variation in batting averages must decrease as improving play eliminates the rough edges that great players could exploit, and as average performance moves toward the limits of human possibility."

However, for those of weak constitution, two warnings.

1) It's very New York centric -- he did grow up a Yankee fan in NYC in the "1940's and 50's, when the city — home to the Yankees, the Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers — was the greatest baseball mecca in the world." This is a topic that's been covered ad infinitum before -- don't know what it offers those of us west of the Hudson or east of the Housatonic.

And the best thing to happen to baseball was the Dodgers' move to LA -- reflecting the migration of Americans across our great continent.

2) And then there are passages like this: "Baseball has changed no major rule in a century, and we can therefore look and compare, in genuine continuity, across the generations. The seasons of our lives move inexorably forward. As my father saw Ruth, I followed Maris, and my sons watch McGwire. But the game also cycles in glorious sameness, as each winter of our discontent yields to another spring of opening day." Puke! Huh -- Dr. Gould -- ever hear of the Designated Hitter? Guess he must have thought that to be a "minor" rule change! Again, how is this different from, say, football? It's still 4 downs, 10 yards etc. ... no major rule changes. "As my father saw Hutson, I followed Starr, and my nephews watch Favre."

Link to NYTimes review of the book (reg. req.)

[ June 04, 2003, 10:26 AM: Message edited by: DCBucky ]