Every spring term brings a new theme for class dinners and this
year, I have decided to celebrate an American pastime – Baseball. As you will see in the coming weeks, this is not just an American sport, but rather it is a global one with teams in Japan, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Because of the global presence in baseball, we’ll feature dinners from 3 cities in the US (New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles), Canada (yes, the play baseball in Toronto), Japan, and three countries in the Caribbean (Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico).
But why baseball? Why not football or soccer (ahem, football), or basketball? Most of these sports have a faithful following and moments of sheer greatness. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final in December between France and Argentina will go down in history as one of the greatest matches of all time. Other sports are just as worthy as baseball for recognition, but baseball is steeped in history, great moments, and tradition. Over the last 120 years, we’ve witnessed Oakland A’s improbable season in 2002, the Red Sox finally overcoming the Curse of the Bambino in 2004, Jackie Robinson becoming the first African American baseball player, the creation of a women’s league during WWII when male players fought overseas, among many others. Over the years, many notable players have made their mark on and off the field, as they say (Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Derek Jeter, to name a few).
Baseball is a seemingly simple sport that takes a lot of talent where players are only asked to do three things:
“You hit the ball. You catch the ball. You throw the ball.” (Bull Durham)
And it’s one of the most superstitious sports around. The fact it has allowed curses (Curse of the Bambino or the Curse of the Billy Goat) take hold of team’s traditions as a way to explain their misfortunes, only speaks to the lore of the game.
Hollywood, too, seems fascinated with baseball, producing movies that highlight the comedic aspects of the game (Major League, Bull Durham, A League of Their Own – “There’s no crying in baseball!”) to the dramatic (Moneyball) and the nostalgic (Field of Dreams). It seems there are endless ways to portray this sport.
The 2023 baseball season is quickly approaching with opening day starting April 1. In the meantime, as players report to warm parts of the US for spring training, we are taking you on a journey around the mound, starting in New York City to celebrate the Yankees and Mets. We’ll end up in the warm waters of the Caribbean in Puerto Rico on May 1. We hope you will enjoy these meals. There will be some Cracker Jacks and Hot Dogs, along with a variety of flavors and dishes.
To join us, please reserve a table today. We’ll see you at the ballpark. Ok, it’s Hannon Hall, but for now, it’s a ballpark.