Legends Never Die: Baseball’s Impact on History and Culture

As we continue to examine baseball’s impact on our everyday lives, let us shift our focus to how the game has changed our culture and history along the way. Baseball is a game that can lift our spirits when we are down, drive us completely mad, and shape the world around us.

  The game’s impact on popular culture is no question. Baseball permeates music, with influence on Simon and Garfunkel’s famous song “Mrs. Robinson”. The game has been the source material for Oscar-nominated films like Moneyball, Field of Dreams, and Pride of the Yankees. Even our favorite entertainers and public figures are entranced by the same game we all are. Baseball’s influence on pop culture is undeniable, but it extends far beyond that. Baseball has irreversibly changed the way we speak, the way we build communities, and the world as we know it.

Baseball’s Impact on Our Language

  Without realizing it, many of you have likely used a baseball idiom at some point in the last 24 hours. Perhaps you told a coworker you would touch base with them later or had to cancel plans with the promise of a rain check. English is always changing, adding new words and phrases through the years, and baseball has an incredible ability to infiltrate the language.

  Just in the world of business alone, we cover all the bases, close the deal, and share ballpark figures in meetings. Sometimes the unexpected happens and something comes out of left field, or even worse…life can throw you a curveball.

  As the United States was developing its dialect, baseball was the most popular sport. It was also one of the first sports that included broadcasts with color commentators looking to add a little spice to the language used. Without baseball, we wouldn’t swing and miss or knock it out of the park on a big presentation. We wouldn’t go to bat for our friends or swing for the fences when taking a big risk. One can only wonder where teenage gossip would stand without asking what base someone got to.

There When We Need It Most

  The most powerful part of baseball’s influence is its unmatched ability to bring together communities. Baseball draws us together; no matter what you have going on in your life, once you step into the ballpark, you are transported to a new world.

  I challenge anyone who doesn’t believe in the community of baseball to watch a game involving the St. Louis Cardinals. It doesn’t matter if the game is in Busch Stadium or anywhere else, you are guaranteed to sit down with the best fans in baseball and understand a new meaning of the word community. Stories are exchanged, beers and hotdogs go down easier, and time seems to fly, leaving you wanting more.

  In an ever-changing world, baseball seems to be the one constant. When tragedy strikes, no matter if it is war, natural disasters, or even terrorist attacks, baseball stands tall through it all. When the world seems bleak, darkness is inescapable, the words “It’s time for Dodger Baseball” can correct even the deepest of sadness in me. The game is there when we need it, it provides a glimmer of hope, and it will remain long after we are gone. While we all likely have our own stories that demonstrate baseball’s unmatched power of community, there are a couple that stand out.

  In the 1940s, the United States looked like a very different country than it is now. With Jim Crow Laws still in full force, the country was torn apart. In a bleak time, Jackie Robinson rose above it all. Jackie broke the color barrier, something in place since the late 1800s, bringing in a new age for baseball and the United States as a whole. The Jim Crow Laws wouldn’t be repealed for nearly two decades after Robinson made his Major League debut, but it nonetheless showed everyone what an integrated league looked like and gave a glimpse into the future of the country as a whole.

  Shortly after the terrorist attacks on September 11^th, no one knew if the country would be alright. A shroud of fear hung over the United States as we entered a terrifying time of uncertainty. That is, until the New York Mets played their first home game after the attacks with Catcher Mike Piazza hitting the game-winning home run. Things weren’t immediately fixed, but the shroud began to lift. Later that same year, the New York Yankees made it to the World Series and had President George W. Bush throw out the first pitch, further solidifying the idea that all will be ok.

  These stories both demonstrate baseball’s ability to bring us into the future, all while providing a sense of nostalgia and comfort for the game we love. The game is always evolving, updating, but never lacks the ability to bring a community together, even if it is just for a few hours.

Where Will We Go From Here

  Baseball is more than just a game played over nine innings, and its legacy is much more than trophies, records, and retired numbers. America’s Pastime is a symbol of hope when we need it, a lesson for us to learn, and an unstoppable force that permeates everything we do. It is a ballcap proudly displaying where we are from, a ballpark bursting at the seams with memories, and above all is an experience that provides us just what we need.

The truth is, there’s no telling where the game will go from here. Whether or not we allow baseball to continue to permeate our language, history, and culture is completely up to us. Will we continue to build a community of baseball fans? Will we make more songs and movies about this great game? Will we allow this game to change the way we see the world? I truly hope so. This game is not done leaving its mark on history just yet.

Sources:

America’s Pastime: The Fascinating History and Enduring Impact of Baseball. (n.d.). UNIABROAD. Retrieved August 1, 2025, from https://uniabroad.io/articles/blog/

Baseball History, American History and You | Baseball Hall of Fame. (n.d.). Retrieved August 1, 2025, from https://baseballhall.org/baseball-history-american-history-and-you

Bertha, M. (2015, February 20). A complete history of baseball movies getting nominated for Oscars. MLB.Com. https://www.mlb.com/cut4/a-complete-history-of-baseball-movies-getting-nominated-for-oscars/c-109825014

Examining the role of baseball following the 9/11 attacks. (2023, September 11). Philadelphia Baseball Review - Phillies News, Rumors and Analysis. https://www.philadelphiabaseballreview.com/2023/09/examining-role-of-baseball-following.html

Nine everyday phrases that actually come from baseball. (n.d.). MLB.Com. Retrieved August 1, 2025, from https://www.mlb.com/news/everyday-phrases-that-originated-from-baseball

Miller, B. (Director). (2011) Moneyball [Film]. Columbia Pictures

Opening Day, 1947: Jackie Robinson’s Debut. (n.d.). The Jackie Robinson Museum. Retrieved August 1, 2025, from https://www.jackierobinsonmuseum.org/learn/stories/opening-day-1947-jackie-robinsons-debut/

Robinson, P.A. (Director). (1989) Field of Dreams [Film]. Universal Pictures

Simon, P., & Garfunkel, A. (1968). Mrs. Robinson [Song]. On The Graduate. Columbia Records

Wood, S. (Director). (1942) Pride of the Yankees [Film]. RKO Pictures