Robert Elias

Robert Elias is a professor of politics at the University of San Francisco. In the following selection, he examines the various ways in which pro baseball represents the American Dream. For example, baseball is said to give all players an equal shot at success, to reward practice and perseverance, to foster a sense of community among players and spectators, and to promote honesty and fair play. Moreover, in its long history baseball has in some ways come to symbolize America as a nation.

However, Elias also points out some of the negative ways in which baseball reflects American values. For example, the egalitarian image that pro baseball established during the civil rights era is undermined by the exclusion of women from the professional ranks. Major League Baseball is also characterized by enormous economic inequities, among players, management, and...