Most baseball fans are aware that baseball is played not only in the United States, but also in Canada, Latin America, Japan, Korea and Australia. Baseball is not limited to these places, however, and over the centuries the originally American version of the game has become a global pastime. Founded in 1938, the International Baseball Federation now consists of 112 countries whose baseball and softball teams compete within their respective countries and in various IBAF tournaments. Baseball is also a practiced in other countries that do not belong to the IBAF. This book provides a uniquely comprehensive overview of baseball as it is and has been played around the world. Early chapters examine the diverse origins of baseball and the history of the game in the United States. The following chapters discuss the experiences of players and fans in Latin America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and other unexpected locales.
Emphasis is placed on the significance of baseball in various cultures, revealing the game's role as a religious experience in Japan, a deadly dual between rival chiefs of the ancient Aztec civilization, or merely a patriotic motif as it has become in the United States. The final chapter proposes an explanation for why so many diverse peoples are attracted to the game of baseball.
- ISBN10 0786420944
- ISBN13 9780786420940
- Publish Date 1 September 2005
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 4 May 2005
- Publish Country US
- Imprint McFarland & Co Inc
- Format Paperback
- Pages 200
- Language English