participate in our national pastime... often without even knowing it. Preschoolers sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Executives make "ballpark estimates." Politicians warn, "three strikes and you're out." Someone quotes from "Who's on First?" A baseball movie opens at the multiplex. We lament that "there is no joy in Mudville" without even realizing that we know "Casey at the Bat."

Baseball was part of popular culture as early as the 1860s, celebrated in song, story, and art. Today, baseball images, references, and of course the ubiquitous baseball cap permeate the land. The game and its heroes have become a form of cultural shorthand through which we—and others—define and recognize America.