Seminar Capstone on Global Sports

Justin Thomas

Dr. Botto

QU 301

May 4, 2015

QU 301 Final Capstone Project

        Since early childhood, baseball players in specific, have the dream of becoming a professional ball player. This begins in the backyards of homes with a father-son catch or hitting wiffle balls with family and friends. I can remember the countless hours I spent in my backyard picturing myself at Yankee Stadium, hitting ball after ball deep into my woods and then chasing after them. From here, many communities offer Little League Baseball, an opportunity for children to play against other in their community. This branches out to tournaments in other towns and states, eventually leading to the Little League World Series. It is here, in Little League, where young players develop a love for the game that gives them the drive to pursue careers in high school, college, and maybe professional. Little League Baseball continues to grow in not only the United States but also in numerous countries internationally. First, we must look at how baseball developed from cricket, into the popular sport it is today and also the management of the organizations, players and teams involved. Then the growth of this sport to countries outside of the United States that attempt to follow those of Major League Baseball.

The global impact of sports has played a large role in bringing countries and people together. From the earliest origins of sports in Mayan and Native American cultures we can see the everlasting bond that sports continues to have with people from around the world. Baseball and Cricket are alike and different in many aspects from the fans to the rules. One main aspect is that the sport of baseball is dominated by pitching and cricket is dominated by batters. Baseball was slowly derived from cricket as cricket made its way from England across the Atlantic Ocean.  Before being known as baseball and having the rules that are still in tact today, baseball was called “Rounders” and looked to add more variety and team play then cricket. Today, the outreaching effect of both of these sports has been greatly recognized, especially due to the recent end of the Cricket World Cup and start of Major League Baseball. It is interesting to see the impact both of these sports once had on each other and are now a staple in major countries around the world. Though baseball is derived from the basics of cricket, we see today the impact that baseball has across the world. From its development in Japan, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic, baseball has started to delve into the talent pool that cricket has to offer in countries such as India, Australia, and England. I will also look into the causes of player strikes in baseball and the differences of management between baseball teams, international baseball leagues, and cricket clubs. Baseball and cricket continue to open their doors to new players and countries that want to partake in the sport and help it develop worldwide.