Class on modern baseball a hit; makes ‘hottest college course’ list

By Allie Weiss ’13

1 min read

Published in Nov. 16, 2011, Issue

For their first assignment, students watched a televised baseball game and critiqued the broadcasters. Then they were asked to explain their choice of the sport’s most influential figure in recent decades: Jackie Robinson, Marvin Miller, or Curt Flood.

It’s not typical course fare: baseball’s economics, culture, and globalization. But “The Making of Modern Baseball” — co-taught by English professor William Gleason and Scott Bradley, Princeton’s head baseball coach – was named one of the 10 “hottest college courses” by The Daily Beast website.

“The students in the class have a real passion for baseball and want to learn more about the issues that have influenced the game,” said Bradley, who played nine seasons in the major leagues before coming to Princeton. Kevin Whitaker ’13, executive sports editor of The Daily Princetonian, said Bradley’s experience and love of baseball “really add something to the class.”

Also on the hottest-course list: Professor Joshua Katz’s “Wordplay: A Wry Plod from Babel to Scrabble” (PAW’s Feb. 3, 2010, cover story).

1 Response

Roland Kuchel ’61

8 Years Ago

Now that Princeton successfully has addressed grade inflation, will it also question a curriculum that includes such seemingly spurious course offerings, by the American studies program, as “The Making of Modern Baseball” (Campus Notebook, Nov. 16)? Touted by the authoritative Daily Beast as one of the 10 “hottest college courses,” its students watched and critiqued a televised baseball game for their first assignment. With all due respect to Professor Gleason and Coach Bradley, what next? Fun courses on Jeopardy! or Dancing with the Stars?