Ant 102 12 - article response for the article Baseball Magic. PDF

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article response for the article Baseball Magic....

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Ant 102- 004 Samantha Collier Article Response 12.11.17

“Baseball Magic”

In the article Baseball Magic By George Gmelch goes through comparing baseball players in America to Trobriand Islanders. Just like baseball players tend to go through these routines and rituals that they believe help them win, the islanders do the same things but with their fishing magic. When the Trobrianders went fishing while on the open seas they relied on magical rituals to ensure that they will be safe and that they will get a good catch. The article talks about how that to baseball players, their sport is a livelihood not just game. Just like the Trobrianders they do not want to leave their livelihood to chance. First, the elements that make up the game of baseball, hitting, fielding, and pitching. Pitching and hitting are supporting largely by chance. The pitcher may be great and have great warmups and practices but how he pitched in that one instance is totally up to chance. Then there is hitting, one of the most difficult elements of the game. There is no way to know what is going to happened to that ball once it leaves the pitchers glove. The game is controlled by risk and uncertainty as well as actual talent and skill. But to reduce that chance and uncertainty players develop rituals and routines to help them feel as if they are in control of what is happening. While rituals and superstitions that the players have do not tell a baseball to travel one way when it is going another, or tell a ball to travel faster. These practices give a sense of control and with that an added level of confidence that they are going to do well and that doing that thing makes you better then everyone else....