| Abstract: | This dissertation examines the game of baseball in the United States. The national pastime has much social significance for society as baseball has been played in America for well over a century. Despite much social change in the structure of organized baseball the internal dynamics of the game have changed little since 1846. A particularly fruitful viewpoint concerning baseball involves the theoretical perspective of symbolic interaction, due to the rich use of signs, signals and symbols in the game of baseball. As such, the game of baseball is quite unique among the four major team sports of baseball, hockey, basketball and football. The specific question addressed by this dissertation is which particular aspect of baseball: fielding, hitting and pitching, is most important in the winning of baseball games. The theoretical perspective of power-dependence is used as the hypothesis states that the position of pitcher is the most important position on the baseball diamond because it has the most power. Based on extensive data analysis of every major league season since 1876 the results indicate that pitching is the most important ingredient in the winning of baseball games. |
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