University of Massachusetts Amherst
Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management
SPORTMGT 280
Winter 2023
SPORTMGT 280: History of Baseball in America
Co-Instructor: Dr. Matthew Katz and Duke Goldman
Katz Email: mkatz@isenberg.umass.edu
Goldman Email: ddgoldman@umass.edu
Office Hours: Zoom Availability throughout Semester. Email to schedule a meeting!
When and Where We Meet:
This course will follow an ASYNCHRONOUS design. That means that Professors Katz and Goldman, as the
instructors, provide all the learning materials and assignments for each module on Canvas – and you have some
flexibility in when you complete the assignments. There are weekly due dates and scheduled events. As long as you
meet those due dates, you have a lot of flexibility in when you complete tasks and the speed at which you advance.
Proceed at your own pace; you have a lot of agency in shaping your own learning experience within each week.
Our course takes place on Canvas. If you are not familiar with Canvas, I strongly suggest exploring the course site.
All the readings will be posted on Canvas, assignments will be submitted via Canvas, and announcements will be
made via Canvas. In other words, we are going to spend a lot of time on Canvas! If you need extra help with
Canvas, please see the Help Desk Information on the Canvas Home Page.
Assigned Readings and Course Materials:
You are required to purchase one book for this course, Past Time: Baseball as History by Jules Tygiel. All other
weekly readings will be posted on Canvas. Please check Canvas each week for the required readings!
About this Course:
We are excited for this course, and we hope this can be a worthwhile and enjoyable course for you all. The
asynchronous nature of this course, and remote learning in general, will be a different learning experience for many
of us – but we are confident we will have a great semester in this course. We reworked and rebuilt this course to fit
the asynchronous nature. This is not merely an “in-person” course moved online. All the components of the course
have been redesigned to foster learning in a remote course.
Each module of the course has a cadence to the assignments; a sequence of events that remains largely the same
module. Once you figure out the cadence, everything should be a lot easier to understand. There are some subtle
differences as our class calendar competes with holidays.
Each module is essentially one calendar week. Each module contains either four or five different topics, depending
on the presence/absence of holidays. Each module has a combination of reading assignments, prerecorded lecture
videos for you to watch, reading quizzes, short answer questions, and a reflection paper that concludes the module.
There are a lot of moving parts!
For each module, all of the assignments are technically due by 11:59pm on the last day of the module. I’ll repeat that
again. The due date for all assignments in a module is 11:59pm on the last day of the module. We do NOT
recommend waiting until the last day of the module for the readings, quizzes, videos, and assignments. We provided
a recommend schedule that keeps the workload and learning objectives manageable. Waiting until the last day will
certainly diminish how much you learn (and enjoy!) the class.
So long as you meet the module deadline, the pace/speed at which you complete the assignments is up to you. You
will not be able to work ahead past the end of a week. That is the only limitation. If you need to adjust your course
cadence, please let me know! If there’s a week you know you’ll be away from the computer, please let me know in
advance and we can work together to find a solution. If you give me enough notice, I can be very accommodating.
Making last minute changes, however, for a remote course of 50 students is very difficult! To the best that you can,
please try to plan ahead.
One last note on the cadence of each module and the assignments. We designed the Canvas site so you must
complete the assignments in the order in which they appear on Canvas. Subsequent assignments, readings, videos,
quizzes will not be accessible until you’ve completed the previous step. To repeat that fact: uou will not be able to
view the subsequent assignments until you complete the preceding assignment. Stay in the cadence!
Each week during the assigned office hours (M/W 10:00 – 11:00) I will be available via Zoom. The highlight of
each semester is getting to know the students; to both learn about you and learn from you. I hope for the chance to
“meet” many of you via Zoom during the semester. I will also be available for Zoom meetings other times during
the week, and you can make an appointment on the “Faculty Bio” page on Canvas. Email is the best form of
communication.
What Technology Will you Need for this Course?
Not much! You need access to Canvas; and you’ll need a strong enough internet connection to stream videos and
watch lectures. Zoom will be required for Office Hours meetings.
What are We Going to Learn in this Course?
The course description for SPORTMGT 280 (History of Baseball in America) is “A view of American history from
1840-2010 through the eyes of our national pastime including labor battles between owners and players, famous
Managers and Commissioners, legendary players and their accomplishments, struggles of minorities, women and
immigrants, legislature and judicial involvement in baseball, and the Steroid era.
To expand a little deeper, we are going to focus on the development of baseball within the United States, as a
national pastime, a sport, and of course a business. As a Sport Management class, there is a particular emphasis on
the historical growth of the baseball industry – including discussions of labor, equity, power, and management
practices.
Our course is part of the General Education Program, with the explicit aim of providing breadth of experience for
students. Our course is listed under the Historical Studies (HS) designation. Consistent with the HS design, our
course is designed in part by the following university explanation of the HS designation:
“We learn from the past. All aspects of human existence, including our social, political, and economic
systems, have evolved from the past and help to illuminate and shape our present and future lives. Courses
within this area focus on human interaction in specific situations developing through time, covering a
sufficient breadth of scope and time to consider the development of significant social, political, or
economic institutions or ideologies. Students are exposed to historically important events, developments, or
processes as a way of teaching them to understand the present and direct their futures as well as gain an
awareness of and appreciation for an historical perspective.”
Like all HS General Education classes, this class will help prepare you to critically assess and resolve management
issues and encourage a lifetime of learning. We can only understand and shape what is likely to develop in the nearterm if we can grasp the social, historical, and economic forces that created the present. Students will be encouraged
to analyze differing viewpoints that are promoted in baseball, American sport, and really business today. In the end,
I hope students will learn to think critically about baseball in the present tense by understanding the past.
The sport (and business) of baseball is not static nor isolated from larger historical and societal trends. We will trace
the key events and decisions that shaped the baseball industry we know today; and question why these decisions
were made, the larger historical context in which these decisions were made and consider the consequences of said
decisions and events. Similarly, the sport of baseball operates within much larger social, political, and economic
environments.
Course Rationale:
Why take a class in the History of Baseball in America? The course rationale is to provide students with a basis from
which to assess the social, economic, and political impact of the sport of baseball on the American culture. Upon the
successful completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate practical and applied expertise in the
following areas:
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An explanation of the historical developments and perspectives that shaped the game and profession, and
the resulting influences on baseball today.
An identification and explanation of the social and economic conditions that impact the actions and
interactions of fans, players, owners, communities, and businesses.
An understanding of the role of the media in influencing and promoting the game.
A comprehension of the roles that both heroes and anti-heroes fulfill in the mythology of baseball.
A realization of the divisive and inclusive roles played by baseball in American cultural assimilation
throughout the 20th century, including the roles of women, African Americans, and European immigrants.
Relevant observations by individuals from these groups will be included in the course.
An understanding of the role America’s judicial system and legislature played in determining the economic
and business-related opportunities for players and owners.
How to Succeed in this Course:
I want you all to succeed in this course. I want everyone to learn, to be proud of their performance, and to enjoy the
learning experience. Here are some general tips to succeed in this course.
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Learn the course cadence. Each module looks similar. The sooner you learn that cadence, the easier this
semester will be.
Check Canvas regularly! Familiarize yourself with the site. Learn it. Become comfortable on Canvas. If
you think of Canvas as a resource, not an inconvenience, things will be smoother.
Plan ahead. There are few breaks in this short semester. Even with the holidays, the academic calendar
includes just a few days off. It is a steady jog to the finish line. If you know of conflicts and obligations in
your personal lives, plan ahead!
Distribute your learning. Unless necessary, do not try to cram an entire week of work into a single sitting.
“Distributed learning” is the most effective approach to learning. Cramming really does not work; do not
cram your assignments unless you have to.
If you encounter technical issues, get help! We have technological resources at UMass for a reason They
are a great resource and will save you a lot of frustration.
Communicate! If you have questions or concerns, ask me. Or ask a classmate. Even though we were
learning remotely and asynchronously, you need not learn alone. Schedule appointments to meet with us.
We am here for you.
Academic Honest and Plagiarism:
We want our learning environment to be honest and fair. UMass Amherst has an Academic Honesty Policy that
includes cheating and plagiarism as forms of dishonesty.
What is plagiarism? Generally speaking, it is any attempt to take credit for work done by another person. Yet, all
scholars rely on the work of others to shape their own knowledge and interpretations.
This means: In your writing, you must acknowledge the importance of other works through footnotes and/or direct
textual references to influential books, articles, media texts (yes, including Internet resources!), and ideas. When
you…
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use other people’s sentences, words, or concepts…
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summarize or paraphrase ideas or opinions…
You need to use quotation marks and/or cite your source. Working with a professor, tutor, or friend to clarify your
ideas and organization for a paper or presentation is generally not plagiarism. Using an outline or thesis given to you
by someone else without substantial modification is plagiarism.
If you have any questions about what may constitute plagiarism, please consult with me and/or our Writing Center:
Writing, Plagiarism, & Academic Honesty at UMass Amherst Writing Center. Purdue Owls Online Writing Lab
also provides a comprehensive guide related to plagiarism.
And here is a link to the Academic Dishonesty Guide for Students.
A final comment on plagiarism. All of your quizzes and exams are open notes. Use your notes! But do NOT discuss
the exams or quizzes with other people. You should also NOT utilize resources from outside our class readings or
notes. History is full of divergent opinions, and the internet full of inconsistent facts. Do not rely on non-class
materials for either without considering how the outside materials relate to the course readings.
Requirements and Expectations:
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Asynchronous: Our class will be asynchronous in nature. We provide all the learning materials and
assignments for each module on Canvas – and you have some flexibility in when you complete the
assignments. There are weekly due dates and scheduled events. As long as you meet those due dates, you
have a lot of flexibility in when you complete tasks and the speed at which you advance. Proceed at your
own pace; you have a lot of agency in shaping your own learning experience within each week.
Canvas: All the course materials can be found on Canvas. All the assignments must be submitted via
Canvas. Communicate should largely take place via Canvas. Please get comfortable using Canvas for our
course and let me (or the Teaching Assistants) know if you need help with Canvas.
Consistent Module Schedule: To the best of our ability, we created our schedule and learning sequence so
that each week is largely consistent in terms of due dates and assignments. I appreciate that you have other
responsibilities and personal matters of great importance to you. With enough planning you should be able
to balance the workflow of this course with your other responsibilities. Each week is a different topic or
theme that should build off the learning outcomes from the previous week.
Readings and Reading Quizzes: Each module, you have several assigned readings. Sometimes these are
scanned chapters posted on Canvas, other times assigned chapters from the required text, Past Time. Please
check Canvas for the weekly reading assignment. Along with the assigned reading, you will have a reading
quiz each week. These quizzes are short and low-stakes in terms of points. If you complete the readings,
you should be able to easily answer these questions. All quizzes are multiple-choice and take place via
Canvas.
Lecture and Short Response Questions: In addition to the readings and reading quizzes, we created a
series of short lecture videos to supplement the learning objectives from the readings. Some weeks may
have a few video lectures. Other weeks have more. We have kept these lectures short. They are designed to
complement the readings, not summarize what you previously read. Some lectures will further clarify key
points, and others will introduce new examples or materials to help you reach the learning objectives for
the week. Following most of these lectures, you will have short response questions due. These questions are
designed to encourage analysis and evaluation, not merely repeating facts. They require critical thinking
and will ask you to justify and support your answers.
Module Reflection Papers: At the end of each module, you will be assigned an Individual Reflection
Paper due by the end of the Friday. Most weeks these are relatively short paper (about 2-3 pages) that will
ask you to synthesize the different learning objectives and course materials from that module. Specific
instructions for each paper will be posted on Canvas.
Policy of Late Work and Missed Work
Our class moves pretty quickly. Falling behind on assignments will create a lot of problems for you and devalue
your learning experience. Please do not fall behind.
That being said, the next few months will undoubtedly be challenging for many of us. I want to be clear on a late
policy, so everyone knows the ramifications and expectations. Late assignments will be penalized by one point per
calendar day it is late. In other words, if a Reading Quiz is completed on Tuesday (the deadline is Monday), the
grade will be reduced by one point.
Disability Accommodation and Inclusive Learning:
Your success in this class is important to me. We all learn differently and bring different strengths and needs to the
class. If there are aspects of the course that prevent you from learning or make you feel excluded, please let me
know as soon as possible. Together we’ll develop strategies to meet both your needs and the requirements of the
course.
If you have a disability and require accommodations, please let me know as soon as possible. You will need to
register with Disability Services (161 Whitmore Administration building; phone 413-545- 0892). Information on
services and materials for registering are also available on their website www.umass.edu/disability.
There are also a range of resources on campus, including:
• Writing Center - http://www.umass.edu/writingcenter
• Learning Resource Center - http://www.umass.edu/lrc
• Student Success - https://www.umass.edu/studentsuccess/
• Center for Counseling and Psychological Health (CCPH) - http://www.umass.edu/counseling
• English as a Second Language (ESL) Program - http://www.umass.edu/esl
If you require testing accommodations, please let me know as soon as possible! Making last second arrangement for
remote testing is difficult. Please communicate early and often and we can work together to make sure you succeed.
Title IX
If you have been the victim of sexual violence, gender discrimination, or sexual harassment, the university can
provide you with a variety of support resources and accommodations. UMass is committed to providing these
resources with minimal impact and costs to survivors on a case-by-case basis. Resources are available to survivors
with or without them filing a complaint. No upfront costs are charged to any currently enrolled students for
University Health Services or the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health, and no fees exist for services in
the Dean of Students Office, the Center for Women and Community, Student Legal Services, or by live-in
residential staff.
Names and Pronouns:
Everyone has the right to be addressed by the name and pronouns that they use for themselves. You can indicate
your preferred/chosen first name and pronouns on SPIRE, which appear on class rosters. I am committed to ensuring
that I address you with your chosen name and pronouns. Please let me know what name and pronouns I should use
for you if they are not on the roster. Please remember: A student’s chosen name and pronouns are to be respected at
all times in the classroom.
Course Assignments and Evaluation:
Assignment
Reading Quizzes (13…drop one)
Short Response Questions (13…drop one)
Individual Papers (7)
Total Points
Point Per
10
5
10
Total Points
120
60
70
250
Grading Scale
Semester Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
Percentage of Points
92.5% and above
89.5% – 92.49%
86.5% - 89.49%
82.5% - 86.49%
79.5% - 82.49%
76.5% - 79.49%
Semester Grade
C
CD+
D
F
Percentage of Points
72.5% - 76.49%
69.5% - 72.49%
66.5% - 69.49%
59.5.5% - 66.49%
Below 59.5%
Course Calendar: Please Check Canvas for Reading Assignments
Week
12/18
12/26
1/2
1/8
1/16
1/22
1/29
Module
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Topics
Evolution of the Game – How Baseball Happened
Evolution of the Game – Birth of the Modern Game
Business of Baseball – Team & League Management
Business of Baseball – Labor vs. Management
Baseball & Society – The Negro Leagues
Baseball & Society – Integration of Baseball
Baseball Today & Tomorrow
Due Date
12/22 by 11:59pm
12/29 by 11:59pm
1/5 by 11:59pm
1/12 by 11:59pm
1/19 by 11:59pm
1/26 by 11:59pm
1/31 by 11:59pm
***This schedule may be changed and adjusted as necessary. Updated copies will be
uploaded to Canvas as soon as possible***