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Exploring Baseball’s Place in American History

A new on-campus J Term course, Baseball and American Life, debuted at Hartwick College this year, using the history of baseball as a lens to examine broader themes in American society. The course included a field trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Assistant Professor of History Melanie Sheehan explained how the course came to life. “I proposed the idea of a J Term course on the history of baseball to the Department of History and Religious Studies and the idea was well-received,” Sheehan said. “I worked with the Office of Academic Affairs to leverage Hartwick’s partnership with the Hall of Fame to organize a class trip as an essential part of the class.”

Liam Downey ’25, a history major, had visited this national landmark twice before with his family but had a different focus this time around.

Liam Downey 25

"Growing up such a big Yankees fan, I wanted to learn about Babe Ruth, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and all the players who wore pinstripes. My experience was much different this time because I focused on class topics like racial segregation and desegregation, gender discrimination and equity in baseball."

Liam Downey '25

History Major

One of the goals of the class was to encourage students to think critically about how the history of baseball is told and the Hall of Fame offered the ideal opportunity to achieve that goal. “In our tour of the museum, I encouraged students to give particular consideration to the museum’s historical exhibits, including ‘Taking the Field: The 19th Century,’ ‘Diamond Dreams: Women in Baseball,’ ‘The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball’ and ‘Viva Baseball!’,” Sheehan said.

Hartwick College students during tour of Baseball Hall of Fame Museum
Liam Downey '25 in Baseball Hall of Fame

"As a final project, students proposed new additions to the Hall of Fame based on material we discussed in class. As an instructor, it was rewarding to see students develop exhibits on topics like women in 19th-century baseball and the off-the-field challenges that Black baseball players faced."

Melanie Sheehan

Assistant Professor of History

Downey chose Lizzie Arlington to be the focus of his final project. Arlington defied the odds and became the first woman to play for a professional men’s baseball team in 1898. “Baseball and history are two of my biggest passions,” he said. “That’s why I figured this might be a fun class to take. And it was. I learned a lot about the history of baseball and expanded my knowledge on equality and racial discrimination in baseball.”

Sheehan reminded students that history is more than a collection of past events; it’s about how they are framed and remembered. “A lot has happened in the past, but the historian’s task is to craft a narrative that explains how these events relate to each other,” she said. “Some events are remembered, and others are forgotten, and the choices we make about what to emphasize matter.”

March 5, 2025
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