Baseball is considered by many to be America's national pastime. People play or watch baseball in parks, on playgrounds, on professional fields, and in backyards across the nation. The famous American poet Walt Whitman said, "We it's our game it has the snap, go, fling of the American atmosphere; it belongs as much to our institutions, fits into them as significantly as our Constitution's laws.
What is it about baseball that makes it America's game? Maybe it's baseball's long history and tradition. It could be baseball's combination of individual effort and teamwork both of which are needed for success in the sport and valued in our society. Then again, maybe baseball is just good fun. "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," a song written by Jack Norworth in 1908, gives the lighthearted feel of watching a baseball game: