Presentation
A.
Opening
1)
Ask
students, “What are some of the sights and sounds
you would see and hear at any baseball stadium in
the United States?”
2)
Show a
photograph or associated artifact (e.g. a pennant, a
hat, etc.) from the major league baseball stadium in
the immediate region or one with which the students
are most familiar.
3)
Ask the
class if this stadium is recognizable to them or if
they have ever attended a game there. Ask, “What are
some sights and sounds that are unique to the
location of this stadium or area which you would not
see at any other ballpark in the country?”
4)
Point out
that baseball stadiums and their teams often reflect
the characteristics of the region in which they are
located. Every geographic area of the United States
is distinctive as represented by a team’s name,
colors and the architectural features of its
ballpark.
B.
Lesson
1) Unlike
today’s baseball stadiums of concrete and steel,
early ball fields were laid out in pastures and
empty lots. As baseball’s popularity grew,
ballparks were constructed of wood, brick and
mortar. INSTRUCTOR NOTE: Show photographs of one
or more ballparks from the early 20th
century (e.g. Boston’s Grounds in Boston during the
first World Series in 1903).
2) In
looking at this photo, ask students, “What other
differences do you see that indicate this ballpark
was from an earlier era?” Prompt them to speculate
how playing in an old-time ballpark would be
different than playing in today’s modern stadiums.
3) Using
the early 1900s photo of Forbes Field in Pittsburgh,
ask students to comment on style of dress, lack of
diversity among the fans, absence of women and
children, and the prevalence of tobacco products.
4) Beginning
with a photo of Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, New
York (the legendary birthplace of baseball), take
students on an interactive road trip to historical
and modern-day stadiums across the country.
INSTRUCTOR NOTE: Refer students to a blank map of
the United States and a copy of the clue sheet.
Tell them you will work through the activity
together, explaining the goal of the activity before
you begin. Have students mark Cooperstown’s location
on the map. Show a photograph of each of the
following ballparks and provide students with the
following clues to determine geographic location:
Polo
Grounds – 1890s
a) TEAM(s):
Giants, Yankees, Mets
b)
PLAYERS:
Babe Ruth, Christy Mathewson, Willie Mays
c)
LOCATION:
Washington Heights in northern Manhattan
d)
STORY:
Horses and their riders competed on this field,
which was built on a site originally used for Polo
matches.
e)
DIRECTION
and MILEAGE (from previous stop): 228 miles
southeast of Cooperstown
f)
WHERE IS
IT? New York City
Shibe
Park – 1900s
a)
TEAM(s):
Athletics and Phillies
b)
PLAYERS:
Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Richie Ashburn
c)
LOCATION:
The home of the Liberty Bell
d)
STORY: The
first ballpark made of steel and concrete with an
ornate facade. It had no seating beyond the right
field fence, which allowed easy viewing by neighbors
in the nearby homes.
e)
DIRECTION
and MILEAGE (from previous stadium): 108 miles
southwest of New York City
f)
WHERE IS
IT? Philadelphia
Fenway
Park – 1910s
a)
TEAM(s):
Red Sox
b)
PLAYERS:
Ted Williams, Carl Yaztremski, Nomar Garciaparra
c)
LOCATION:
Where Paul Revere began his midnight ride
d)
STORY: The
oldest stadium in continuous use by a major league
baseball team today. Famous for its “Green
Monster.”
e)
DIRECTION
and MILEAGE (from previous stadium): 311 miles
northeast of Philadelphia
f)
WHERE IS
IT? Boston
Yankee
Stadium – 1920s
a)
TEAM(s):
Yankees
b)
PLAYERS:
Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Derek Jeter
c)
LOCATION:
Near the world-famous Bronx Zoo
d)
STORY:
Everyone came to see the “House that Ruth built,”
famous for its triple deck grandstand which seated
more than 58,000 fans.
e)
DIRECTION
and MILEAGE (from previous stadium): 206 miles
southwest of Boston
f)
WHERE IS
IT? New York City
Municipal Stadium – 1930s
a)
TEAM(s):
Indians
b)
PLAYERS:
Bob Feller, Satchel Paige, Larry Doby
c)
LOCATION:
On the shores of Lake Erie
d)
STORY:
Built as an attempt to attract the 1932 Olympics, it
was constructed during the Great Depression.
e)
DIRECTION
and MILEAGE (from previous stadium): 465 miles
northwest of New York City
f)
WHERE IS
IT? Cleveland
Wrigley
Field – 1930s
a)
TEAM(s):
Cubs
b)
PLAYERS:
Ernie Banks, Sammy Sosa, Hack Wilson
c)
LOCATION:
The “Windy City” on the shores of Lake Michigan
d)
STORY: The
first-ever night game at this historic park was an
All-Star Game for the All-American Girls
Professional Baseball League in 1943.
e)
DIRECTION
and MILEAGE (from previous stadium): 349 miles west
of Cleveland
f)
WHERE IS
IT? Chicago
Municipal Park – 1950s
a)
TEAM(s):
Athletics
b)
PLAYERS:
Reggie Jackson, George Brett, Jim “Catfish” Hunter
c)
LOCATION:
On the banks of the Missouri River, this was once
home to the westernmost team in Major League
Baseball
d)
STORY:
Home to the Athletics after the team moved from
Philadelphia, the stadium was known for its picnic
area and children’s petting zoo beyond the leftfield
fence.
e)
DIRECTION
and MILEAGE (from previous stadium): 532 miles
southwest of Chicago
f)
WHERE IS
IT? Kansas City
Astrodome – 1960s
a)
TEAM(s):
Astros
b)
PLAYERS:
Nolan Ryan, Jeff Bagwell, Randy Johnson
c)
LOCATION:
Shares the same city with the Johnson Space Center
near the Gulf of Mexico; once called the “eighth
wonder of the world.”
d)
STORY:
Technology changed the game here where baseball was
played indoors on artificial turf to protect fans
and players from the hot, humid climate. The team
changed its name from the Colt ‘45s when it moved to
its new stadium in 1965.
e)
DIRECTION
and MILEAGE (from previous stadium): 804 miles
southwest of Kansas City.
f)
WHERE IS
IT? Houston
Three
Rivers Stadium – 1970s
a)
TEAM(s):
Pirates
b)
PLAYERS:
Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente, Barry Bonds
c)
LOCATION:
Located at the convergence of the Monongahela,
Allegheny and Ohio rivers in a city known for its
steel factories.
d)
STORY: One
of the “cookie cutter” stadiums of the 1960s and
1970s, so called for its standard round design that
accommodated several sports, including baseball and
football.
e)
DIRECTION
and MILEAGE (from previous stadium): 1,424 miles
northeast of Houston
f)
WHERE IS
IT? Pittsburgh
The Sky
Dome – 1980s
a)
TEAM(s):
Blue Jays
b)
PLAYERS:
Joe Carter, Roger Clemons, Paul Molitor
c)
LOCATION:
On the shores of Lake Ontario, one of two Major
League Baseball teams to play its home games outside
the United States.
d)
STORY: The
stadium has a 348-room hotel, a mini-golf course and
a retractable roof.
e)
DIRECTION
and MILEAGE (from previous stadium): 225 miles north
of Pittsburgh
f)
WHERE IS
IT? Toronto
Mile
High Stadium – 1990s
a)
TEAM(s):
Rockies
b)
PLAYERS:
Larry Walker, Dante Bichette, Andres Galarraga
c)
LOCATION:
At the base of the Rocky Mountains at an altitude of
5,280 feet
d)
STORY:
While the Rockies were waiting for their own
ballpark (Coors Field) to be built, they played in
this stadium famous for its football games. The
high altitude and thin air equate to a record number
of home runs.
e)
DIRECTION
and MILEAGE (from previous stadium): 1,340 miles
southwest of Toronto
f)
WHERE IS
IT? Denver
Candlestick Park and Network Associates Coliseum –
2000s
a)
TEAM(s):
Giants and Athletics
b)
PLAYERS:
Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Reggie Jackson, Juan
Marichal
c)
LOCATION:
Both teams play at opposite ends of the Bay Bridge
d)
STORY: The
1989 World Series between these two teams was
disrupted when a severe earthquake delayed play for
several days. Both teams settled here after
migrating westward from their previous cities, New
York and Kansas City.
e)
DIRECTION
and MILEAGE (from previous stadium): 963 miles
northwest of Denver
f)
WHERE IS
IT? San Francisco and Oakland
C.
Conclusion
1)
Ask
students to summarize what they have learned by
reviewing their maps and information sheets.
2)
Explain
that this activity provided a sampling of expansion
and westward migration among Major League Baseball
teams. Ask, “Do you think these examples would be
representative of a larger sample if the geographic
histories of all teams were studied?”
3)
Ask students to describe
the various geographic landforms given as clues when
determining the location of these teams. Encourage
them to list other factors that determined the
movement and relocation of these teams in the
history of baseball.
