Today is opening day of baseball season, and on Ivy’s Facebook page a member alerted us to a wonderful video by George Will, the author of two best-sellers on baseball, complete with fun animation.
Clad in a buttondown and what looks like a bar rep tie from Brooks (and, alas, a nondescript American Boardroom suit), Will offers an interesting analysis of how baseball reflects American culture and democratic values.
Since moving to New York I’ve always wanted to join a group and play softball in Central Park. This video made me feel 2016 may be the year. — CC
Hey, you found the photo of GW not wearing a bow-tie. Tie striped from left to right so not a BB?
He seems to wear bow ties less often these days.
The top photo is not the same outfit as in the video. I just needed to find a good photo and realized it was slightly misleading. Sorry about that.
But watch the video!
All his comments about the long season and the meritocracy of the team being embodied by its record hasn’t been true since the introduction of the playoffs.The long season is followed by a knockout competition which is pretty much the statistical equivalent of a coin-tossing contest.
And the stuff about baseball’s “uniqueness” is really just a reflection of complete ignorance of cricket. Baseball and cricket are quite different, to be sure, but they have profound similarities as well, and much of what Will cites as unique to baseball is also true of cricket.
Just spoke with Ben Silver today, who pointed out that Will is a customer and that the tie in the photo (not the video) is from them!
And my cricket story for the LA Times Magazine, still one of my favorite stories (skip section intro, not written by me):
http://articles.latimes.com/2005/jul/31/magazine/tm-cricket31
Baseball is hardly unique or for that matter is it uniquely American. Although the English rules may have been altered its still basically just rounders with better kit (uniforms) not that that’s a bad thing.
Wow, no comments on wearing a button-down with a suit!
That’s because everyone here does it. It’s one of the defining characteristics of this genre.
@ cameron & Jon: Me thinks you’ve missed the point. I wonder what you’ll say about American football and soccer, er, football …