The upper school History course "Stars, Stripes, Seams, & Stitches: Baseball & American Culture" is a captivating journey for students into the heart of American history through the lens of the nation's beloved pastime. The semester-long study, designed and taught by History Department Chair Patrick O’Neill, uses baseball as a lens to investigate and assess complex historical and societal issues while examining the origins and expansion of the game from the late 19th to the late 20th century. 

The course, now in its second year, was conceived out of a desire to explore American history in a unique way.

"While football may have taken the lead in popularity, baseball holds a special place as our national pastime,” said O’Neill. “I wanted students to experience American history through the captivating narratives embedded in the game of baseball."

O’Neill noted that it took two years to design the cross-disciplinary class, with the school providing ample professional growth and development opportunities to shape a curriculum appealing to both sports enthusiasts and historians. The result is a course that not only delves into the intricacies of baseball but also weaves a tapestry of American history through its stitches.

Through Harkness conversations, role-play simulations, assigned readings, essay writing, and benchmark assessments, students seek answers to two essential questions: How does baseball reflect, challenge, or reinforce American culture? How and why do we create baseball heroes? 

A visit to the National Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, provided students the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice by critiquing the museum's presentation and making recommendations about how the exhibits could be redesigned to present a more complete story of the game. 

“Our trip to the Hall of Fame was very interesting to see how they chose to portray the story of the game differently than some of the things we talked about in class,” said 
Owen McGreevey '26.

Owen, who plays baseball at King, added that he appreciated the unique lens the course offered into American History.

“As a baseball player, it was interesting to learn the history of the game and how it was more than just a game,” he said.

The course concluded on Friday, January 11, as students completed their culminating project, "Beyond Stats: Baseball Cards Reimagined.” The project was inspired by Topps Project70, in which artists were commissioned to reimagine classic baseball cards.

Working in groups, students reimagined cards for Branch Rickey, Henry Aaron, and Barry Bonds. Using class readings, discussions, and assignments to inform their designs, students worked with Art and Design teacher Ran LaPolla to tell a more comprehensive story of players, the game, and American society.

“They worked mostly with existing images that they find on the internet, including symbolic imagery that helps ‘tell’ the story of their card,” said LaPolla. “The students have great ideas, and the project has been very successful!”

Leina Wyatt '24, whose card featured Branch Rickey, felt the collaborative nature of the final project could be challenging at times but ultimately was a rewarding experience. 

“​​I think we were all very encouraging of each other’s ideas, and I think that everyone was satisfied with the results,” she said.