[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 11 (Friday, January 26, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S514-S515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 215--TO DESIGNATE JUNE 19, 1996, AS ``NATIONAL 
                             BASEBALL DAY''

  Mr. LAUTENBERG (for himself, Mr. Bradley, and Mr. Moynihan) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 215

       Whereas the seeds of modern baseball were planted on the 
     Elysian Fields of Hoboken, New Jersey, on the warm spring 
     afternoon of June 19, 1846;
       Whereas on that historic date, one of baseball's earliest 
     and most influential teams, 

[[Page S515]]
     the Knickerbockers, invited a group known as the New York Club to join 
     them for a ``game of ball'' under a unique set of rules that 
     the Knickerbockers had recently devised;
       Whereas the game the Knickerbockers conceived so excited 
     and captivated the imagination of sports enthusiasts that 
     other ``baseball clubs'' soon began to assemble;
       Whereas these early clubs organized and modeled themselves 
     on the example set by the Knickerbockers and adopted the 
     Knickerbockers written ``Rules of Play'';
       Whereas these men and teams were amateurs in the noblest 
     sense of the word, as they played for the sheer joy they 
     found in this new and captivating game;
       Whereas over the next decade, the Elysian Fields grew into 
     the first great center of baseball activity in the United 
     States, and began to attract players and spectators from 
     across the Nation;
       Whereas Alexander Joy Cartwright, Jr. was the guiding force 
     behind the Knickerbockers, and is the American who, perhaps, 
     best deserves the title of ``Father of Modern Baseball'';
       Whereas the game of baseball spread north and south along 
     the east coast of the United States;
       Whereas today this game is known simply as ``baseball'', a 
     game which, unlike any other, has had a profound influence on 
     generation after generation of Americans;
       Whereas for millions of Americans, baseball is part of 
     their earliest childhood memories, including the crack of a 
     bat, the smell of a glove, and the endless summers spent on 
     sandlots and schoolyards in every community across this great 
     Nation in a uniquely American rite of passage;
       Whereas for many Americans, their first real heroes wore 
     pinstriped baseball uniforms, and these heroes taught 
     generations of young Americans important values and inspired 
     their first dreams of glory;
       Whereas in every American generation for 150 years, 
     baseball has been an important bond between millions of 
     parents and their children who have shared countless 
     afternoons at the ballpark;
       Whereas today, baseball binds one generation of Americans 
     to the next through a shared experience that has become 
     central to our cultural identity as a Nation;
       Whereas it is often said that to understand America, one 
     must first understand the game of baseball; and
       Whereas the designation of a ``National Baseball Day'' will 
     provide an opportunity to celebrate America's ``national 
     pastime'' and to reflect upon a game that has become a 
     metaphor for our Nation's values and a living symbol of our 
     cultural heritage: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate, in recognition of the 
     fundamental role that the game of baseball has played in 
     shaping our American experience, and as a tribute to those 
     who first pioneered the game, designate June 19, 1996, as 
     ``National Baseball Day''. The President is authorized and 
     requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of 
     the United States to observe such day with appropriate 
     ceremonies and activities.

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise today on behalf of myself and 
Senators Bradley and Moynihan to submit a resolution that will 
celebrate the 150th birthday of this country's national pastime. This 
resolution would declare June 19, 1996, as ``National Baseball Day,'' 
commerating this date in 1846 when baseball's first game was played.
  The seeds of modern baseball were planted on the Elysian Fields of 
Hoboken, NJ, on the warm spring afternoon of June 19, 1846. On this 
historic date, one of baseball's earliest and most influential teams, 
the Knickerbockers, invited a group known as the New York Club to join 
them for a game of ball under a unique set of rules that the 
Knickerbockers had recently devised. As time passed and word spread, 
other baseball clubs soon began to assemble and over the next decade 
the Elysian Fields grew into the first great center of baseball 
activity in the United States. Soon the game of baseball spread north 
and south along the east coast of the United States. Today it is played 
from coast-to-coast and all over the world. Mr. President, this game, 
unlike any other, has had a profound influence on generation after 
generation of Americans.
  The men that played in these early games were amateurs in the noblest 
sense of the word, as they played for the sheer joy they found in the 
game. Millions of American boys and girls carry on this tradition every 
year by participating in amateur baseball and softball leagues. In T-
Ball and Little Leagues across the country, youngsters are not only 
learning the fundamentals of the game but teamwork and good 
sportsmanship, lessons that can be carried off the diamond. In fact, 
for millions of Americans, baseball is part of their earliest childhood 
memories, including the crack of a bat, the smell of a glove, and the 
endless summers spent on sandlots and schoolyards in every community 
across this great Nation in a uniquely American rite of passage. In 
every American generation for 150 years, baseball has been an important 
bond between millions of parents and their children who have shared 
countless afternoons at the ballpark. Baseball binds one generation of 
Americans to the next through a shared experience that has become 
central to our identity as a nation.
  It is often said that to understand America, one must first 
understand the game of baseball. For the past century and a half the 
game of baseball has been with us through good and bad. During 
difficult times, baseball has been an aid to Americans, providing not 
only a distraction to the current hardships, but offering hope that if 
the pastime of this great country can endure so can the Nation as a 
whole. It helped keep the home fires burning during World War II and 
moved us into the civil rights movement with Jackie Robinson. This is 
much more than a game, it is a part of who we are.
  We eagerly await the start of spring training, looking forward to 
opening day and baseball's first pitch. Then summer arrives, where 
temperatures and pennant races heat up moving us into crisp fall nights 
and the magic of the World Series. The greatness of baseball comes from 
its simplicity and diversity, a trait which makes the game like no 
other. The dimensions of the field differ from park to park, games have 
no set time limits and the phrase ``perfect game'' has a specific 
meaning with its own precise guidelines. It is a game filled with 
tradition that can not be matched by any other.
  Mr. President, at its heart, baseball is a communal experience and 
its memories are those we inevitable share. It is a game that allows 
the fan to remember the past while at the same time looking towards the 
future, knowing that the game will be around for generations of sons 
and daughters to enjoy. Baseball is truly a game for the ages.
  The designation of a ``National Baseball Day'' will provide an 
opportunity to celebrate America's national pastime and to reflect upon 
a game that has become a metaphor for our Nation's values and a living 
symbol of our heritage. I urge my colleagues to support this 
resolution.

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