Week Ten- The End

This course, LSP 112, revealed an abundance of themes within baseball. Before taking the class, I did not know there were so many. There were a few themes that I connected with more than the others, making them more powerful in the readings. The first is the connection between baseball and family. This theme became most apparent to me in “2004, A Red Sox Odyssey” by Tim Stone. In this story, the author explains on his connection to the Red Sox due to his family history. He felt that by watching the Red Sox break the curse of the bambino, he witnessed what his grandfather waited so long to do. This the theme I most related to. Although I am from Dallas, my dad’s love for the Brewers growing up cause me to be a fan as well.

This was a pretty obvious theme in “2004, A Red Sox Odyssey”. In several of the other readings, identifying themes was not so easy. That’s what made critical reading important in this class. My reading skills have never been good because its always been my least favorite subject in school, however, this class enhanced my skills. At the beginning of the course, I struggled to identify themes within the readings but would follow along closely with the class discussions and take notes. When I went back to reread the articles for my weekly blog, I was able to see how to identify certain themes. As the class continued, I began to read more critically, breaking down the stories in my head. This not only allowed me to identify themes but the readings were more impactful when read this way.

One of the readings that impacted me the most this year was “RIP in Wrigleyville, Welcome to Ricketsville.” The business aspects of this reading made me engage more when reading it because I am a Finance major. The article showed how business owners show no remorse in who they effects as long as they make money. The Rickets gentrified the neighborhood around the ballpark, forcing people to move out of their homes. The theme of economics in baseball is often overlooked but is very present, dating back to the start of professional baseball.

Reading articles such as this one enhanced my appreciation for baseball and writings on baseball. When I transitioned into writing my essays, the articles we were reading served as a great guide. The thing that will stick with me the most is what I learned about the flow of a paper.  I am used to writing papers in a certain way and order. I was taught in high school that it had to be that way for an academic paper, however, the readings and the feedback I got on my own writings in this class showed me that writing can be even better when it doesn’t follow and standard order.

Overall this class taught me a lot about myself as a reader and writer and helped me improve in both areas. The feedback I got on my papers from both peers and Professor Staley were very helpful and improved my papers in the revision process.