Baseball is a ballet without music. Drama without words.
Ernie HarwellRead
Baseball is just a game, as simple as a ball and bat, yet as complex as the American spirit it symbolizes. A sport, a business and sometimes almost even a religion.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Baseball represents more than just a game; it embodies cultural and societal values in America.
Ernie Harwell's quote captures the essence of baseball as a multifaceted entity. While it may seem straightforward—merely a game played with a ball and bat—it transcends its simplicity to become a symbol of American identity. The complexities of baseball reflect the American spirit, intertwining elements of entertainment, commerce, and even deep-seated passion akin to religious devotion. This duality makes baseball a significant part of the cultural fabric of the United States.
Themes
BaseballAmerican SpiritGameComplexitySymbolism
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a sports documentary about baseball's impact on American culture.
More from Ernie Harwell
All quotes →The best thing anyone can do is be himself. Everyone was made different by God, and that's the way it should be. And if I were a writer or an announcer starting out, I don't think I'd imitate anybody. I'd try to be whatever I am.
Ernie HarwellRead
Baseball is a tongue-tied kid from Georgia growing up to be an announcer and praising the Lord for showing him the way to Cooperstown. This is a game for America. Still a game for America, this baseball!
Ernie HarwellRead
Why the fairy tale of Willie Mays making a brilliant World Series catch, and then dashing off to play stickball in the street with his teenage pals. That’s baseball. So is the husky voice of a doomed Lou Gehrig saying, ‘I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth.’
Ernie HarwellRead
Everybody in the minor leagues - if you're a player, an announcer, whatever - wants to be in the big leagues.
Ernie HarwellRead
Baseball is a lot like life. It's a day-to-day existence, full of ups and downs. You make the most of your opportunities in baseball as you do in life.
Ernie HarwellRead
Similar quotes
I can't believe it. I can't believe it. Football. Bloody hell.
Alex FergusonRead
Boxing is a sport, but it's also entertainment. I wanted to transcend the sport and be considered just not as a fighter, or a champion, but someone very special.
Sugar Ray LeonardRead
I quit because I didnt feel like the Detroit Lions had a chance to win. It just killed my enjoyment of the game.
Barry SandersRead
You rarely come across the complete footballer, but Scholes is as close to it as you can get. One of my regrets is that the opportunity to play alongside him never presented itself during my career.
Zinedine ZidaneRead
I have observed that baseball is not unlike war, and when you get right down to it, we batters are the heavy artillery.
Ty CobbRead
Pressure is working down the pit. Pressure is having no work at all. Pressure is trying to escape relegation on 50 shillings a week. Pressure is not the European Cup or the Championship or the Cup Final. That's the reward.
Bill ShanklyRead