Www.asu.edu
Film and Media Studies
Main Office – LL 641
(480) 965-8270
UG Advisor: Michelle McCormick
Baseball, Film & American Dreams
FMS 394
Summer 2008
Instructor: Dr. Michael Rubinoff Day/Time: June 2 - July 4
Office Location: LL 647B Location: myasucourses.asu.edu
Office Voice Message: 480/727-8773 Schedule Lines: 45581
Office Hours: by voice mail and email only
E-mail: mrubinoff@asu.edu
Course Description:
This course examines baseball films and what they tell us about our national culture, history, and self-identification. The National Pastime has been cinematically enshrined since the first years of silent film down to the present. Cognizant of these earlier films, the course will focus on several sub-genres within the baseball context: docudramas, biopics, documentaries, and fantasy/dream stories. Within these categories will be found changes in our concepts of gender roles, race, aging, social class, etc., over seven decades.
Course Objectives:
The purpose of this interdisciplinary course is to explain the cinema of baseball in the wider context of
American culture and society. The student will be able to develop their abilities in four areas: (1) critical
reading, (2) critical film viewing, (3) concise writing, and (4) effective expression with use of the online
classroom environment. Aside from these general goals, the student will also learn many cinematic, cultural, and historical facts associated with baseball films. Readings, individual screenings, and online discussions will explain the filmmaker’s goals, and most importantly, offer insights on why this genre perhaps more than any other sports film so beguiles filmgoers and TV watchers. The course will cover many major issues, which have made baseball films increasingly popular in recent decades. The classroom will also provide a vehicle for the student a full opportunity to raise further questions for general discussion.
Course Methods:
The activities to achieve the course objectives will be, but not limited to as follows:
• critical reading of required texts/media, individual and group responses to critical thinking questions.
• individual research projects at physical library, online library, and web sources to identify valid
material for critical thinking work.
• creation of collaborative documents, which will reflect the consensus of the class on a given
assignment.
• you will screen selected baseball films, examine a newspaper (possibly online), or secure articles from
web databases in support of individual assignments.
Required Reading:
Gehring, Wes D., Mr. Deeds Goes to Yankee Stadium: Baseball Films in the Frank Capra Tradition
(McFarland & Co., Jefferson, NC, 2004).
Most, Marshall & Rudd, Robert, Stars, Stripes and Diamonds: American Culture and the Baseball Film
(McFarland & Co., Jefferson, NC, 2006).
Required Books and Their Use in Class:
Critiques of baseball films are relatively new. Though we find baseball movies around since the early 20th
Century, it has taken scholars a little time to see these films as a distinct genre with characteristics of their
own. However, since the onset of critically acclaimed and popular baseball films in the mid-1989s,
scholars and baseball fans have discovered the significance of these films over the century. The two
required texts used in this course, though bearing the same publishers imprint, take markedly
significantly different approaches to the subject.
Wes Gehring, a professor at Ball State University in Ohio argues how baseball films, both then and now,
tend to be in the “feel good” movie tradition epitomized by legendary director Frank Capra. The title of his
book, Mr. Deeds Goes to Yankee Stadium features one of Capra’s favorite actors, Gary Cooper on the cover.
To be sure, this is a photo from The Pride of the Yankees (1942). But Cooper’s image as the self-effacing
(and doomed) Lou Gehrig plays directly to a Capra-like story of the noble hero, who epitomizes the old-
fashioned, homespun individual. Such characters would people Capra’s films like Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
(1939) and Meet John Doe (1940), both of which starred Cooper. These two movies have similar plots
whereby a well-meaning bumpkin goes to the big city where corrupt forces try to take advantage of
him. In each case, a manipulative female first conjures of fraudulent schemes and then by way of self-
redemption, manages to “save the day” for Cooper’s characters. In the 30s and 40s, audiences could leave
the theater in an upbeat mood: good had triumphed over evil. The message about America and her fascist
enemies was unmistakable.
With Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, a young poet inheriting a fortune is a victim of press manipulation before
being taken advantaged of by shysters and “hangers on.” When he asserts independence and wants to help
stricken depression farmers, the forces of evil converge on him. The young man’s eccentricities are marked
as “mental illness” and he faces a judicial hearing to determine his sanity. Similarly, in Meet John Doe,
Cooper portrays a sore-armed baseball pitcher who is used by a media mogul to front a third party political
movement. This eerily sounds like Huey Long’s “Share the Wealth” movement or Upton Sinclair’s
crusade to establish rural collectives in California. Both achieved populist popularity and influenced the
passage of social security in 1935. In Meet John Doe, Capra makes the “Doe” movement into something
more sinister: a fascistic-type, grass roots cause sweeping from coast-to-coast. The director sounds the alarm
for his countrymen in these films. War was just around the corner and Cooper was a perfect jocular hero.
In Stars, Stripes and Diamonds, Marshall Most and Robert Rudd, professors at Boise State University,
paint baseball films in an entirely different light. Rather than just Capraesque stories hearing from the late
depression and war year period, they see these films as representing American ideals, even though the
everyday picture of the sport is something quite different. At a time when baseball is dealing with unsavory
subjects like illegal steroid use, super sky-high salaries (paid partially at fan’s expense), and sometimes
rapacious team owners, filmmakers continue to offer films recalling the sport’s highest ideals. For
Most and Rudd, this is well beyond Capra’s likeable heroes. Rather, they see the sport elevating family
values, (even estranged parents and their children) male-female relationships, and similar virtues “as
American as apple pie.” The baseball films almost create an idealized version of the world, so far from the
sport’s reality. In essence, the sport becomes the last redoubt of the Hollywood “Dream Factory.” In
baseball films, no situation or fantasy is too far gone for a heroic last at bat. In the final scene, even The
Bad News Bears (1976) are capable of both athletic and social improvement. Most and Rudd are a bit more
sweeping in their analysis of films and heroes. As such they make for a good contrast with Gehring’s focus
on Capra’s more narrow, heroic-figure style.
The timeless sweep of baseball is the setting against which the author’s of these books test their theses and
argue points of both historical and literary concern. Then could go further and perhaps some future book
will demonstrate where baseball is the favorite sport of filmmakers. In War of the Worlds (2004), director
Steven Spielberg has the lead character (Tom Cruise) playing catch with his estranged son. Whereas the
two find little else in common; the ordinary nature of baseball is the connection for father and son. Again,
this emphasizes the timeless nature of baseball and its symbolic relevance in our everyday lives.
Requires Screenings:
A select group of films are required viewing and discussion. These run a gamut of baseball-themed films.
These movies are well known with major casts. The earlier these are viewed, so the better. For the exams
these are essential tools. All of the titles are available from , Blockbusters, on reserve
under the course/instructor’s name in the Hayden Library (1 day checkout per title). Call ahead
480/965-3159 to verify title availability and for their Summer Session hours. You can also purchase these
from Borders, or or other online vendors. These might also be
found in some local libraries and stores, but call in advance to check on title availability. This Old Cub can
be ordered directly from
Week 1 – Baseball Film as History
Eight Men Out (1988)
A League of Their Own (1992)
Week 2 – Baseball Film as Biography
The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
The Jackie Robinson Story (1950)
The Rookie (2002)
Week 3 – Baseball Film as Documentary
The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (1999)
This Old Cub (2004)
Week 4 – Baseball Film as Reality, Myth and Fantasy
Damn Yankees (1958) [an edited version of this film will be available through streaming at External Links]
The Natural (1984)
Field of Dreams (1989)
Week 5 – Baseball Films as Agents of Hope
The Bad News Bears (1976) version with Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neal
Bull Durham (1988)
ASU (Tempe Campus) Bookstore Hours
For the first two days of summer session (Monday, June 2 and Tuesday, June 3), the ASU Bookstore
will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. As of June 4, it will be open on Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m.
to 5 p.m., except for Thursday, June 5 and Friday, June 6 when it will be closed for inventory. The store will
also be open on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The bookstore will be closed on Sunday. If these do
not work for you, try online vendors and go for overnight delivery. The bookstore’s phone is 480/965-7928
or 3191. Call them in advance to check supplies. They can also take special orders.
Requirements & Grading:
Class attendance/participation will be factored in final grades. Students are required to be proactive in class.
Attendance will be taken at week’s end based on “making attendance (see page 6). This is achieved on the
basis of the student posting answers to weekly Discussion Questions (DQs) and follow up posts in
Blackboard. The instructor reserves the right to mark “absent” a student if they are late or leave class early.
Two (2) absences or two weeks will result in a full, final grade point reduction. Excused absences require
submission of appropriate documentation.
Grades will be weighed on a 100 points scale as follows below.
|Week 1 Discussion Questions |5 pts |
|Week 2 Discussion Questions |5 pts |
|Week 3 Discussion Questions |5 pts |
|Week 4 Discussion Questions |5 pts |
|Week 5 Discussion Questions |5 pts |
|Mid-Term Exam |35 pts |
|Final Exam |40 pts |
Course academic performance will be determined as follows below:
|100-90 | A |
| 80-89 | B |
| 70-79 | C |
| 60-69 | D |
| 0 - 59 | F |
These grades are determined under the following criteria (These apply to all written work and exams):
The grade of A reflects excellence. The exam offers a well-focused and organized discussion appropriate to
the instructor's assignment, reflects critical use of relevant materials, and demonstrates effective and formal
writing requirements. Exams must demonstrate outstanding efforts to identify varied pertinent sources, to
employ those materials critically in the text of the paper, and to provide error-free citations of those
resources.
The grade of B represents an effort beyond satisfactory and indicates the exam was completed in an
appropriate and competent manner and, in general, demonstrates a strong attempt at original and critical
analysis, writing, and research. The submission may contain a number of minor grammatical or citation
errors, and its thesis or its conclusions may be undeveloped or too weakly supported.
The grade of C indicates the exam was done in a satisfactory or appropriate fashion, and represents
the average work expected for university courses. The submission is organized around a central idea, its
arguments are supported by relevant examples, and the exam is structured into correctly written
paragraphs and sentences. Although fulfilling the assignment, the C exam may exhibit one or more
weaknesses, including, but not limited to, punctuation and grammatical errors, imprecise or incorrect
word use, inaccurate or uncritical use of materials, and occasional inconsistent organization or
development. Research materials selected or cited may lack direct relevance to the topic.
The grade of D indicates the exam may have a poorly defined topic or thesis, may lack clear focus
or organization, and contains unsupported generalizations or conclusions. Research support is inadequate,
not clearly relevant, or improperly documented, and a less than minimal research effort is evident. The
paper may also suffer from numerous or major formal writing errors.
The grade of F indicates the exam is not clearly relevant to the assignment, and its topic and thesis
are poorly focused or defined. The writing may display inadequate organization or development,
unsupported generalizations, and nonstandard formal features (including language usage, sentence
structure, paragraphing, etc.). In addition, research support is absented, inadequate, or irrelevant to the
assignment. This grade can also be earned by failure to take an exam.
Blackboard Information:
Class can be found at myasucourses.asu.edu. There is no need to type www for Netscape users. Access
sometimes is denied on Friday nights for service maintenance. Updates on such downtime are usually
posted in advance on asu.edu/emma.
Examinations:
There will be a Mid-Term Exam on Friday, June 13 and a Final Exam on Friday July 4. The Final Exam
will not be cumulative. Each exam will be of the essay variety. Though not constructed yet, there will likely
be two long essays to write and shorter identification items. You will have choices from which to pick on
exams. As these are essentially “take home” exams, insertion of source notes and complete reference
citations will be expected.
Mid-Term Exam
The Mid-Term on Friday, June 13 will be conducted online. The exam will be available for 24 hrs. and
the student must post their paper before 11:59 pm on June 13. There will be further instructions on
submission in the ANNOUNCEMENTS section of the online classroom. You will be required to source
note (footnote/endnote) in whatever format you choose and list references consulted at the exam’s end.
Such notes are easily inserted. The Mid-Term paper itself must be deposited in TOOLS/Digital Drop Box.
More on this as we get nearer the exam date.
Final Exam
The Final Exam will be conducted online on Friday, July 4. The exam will be available for 24 hrs. and
the student must post their paper before 11:59 pm on July 4. There will be further instructions on
submission in the ANNOUNCEMENTS section of the online classroom. You will be required to source
note (footnote/endnote) in whatever format you choose and list references consulted at the exam’s end.
Such notes are easily inserted. The Final Exam paper itself must be deposited in TOOLS/Digital Drop Box.
More on this as we get nearer the exam date.
Discussion Questions (DQs) – found under Discussion Boards:
At the start of each of our three weeks (see Calendar on page 9) there will be a lecture posted (see
COURSE DOCUMENTS) by the instructor. The student will be required to submit their answers to
the questions by the due date (see Calendar in Attendance below). Timely submission not only gives us
talking points for the week, but gives sufficient time for students to comment on one another’s work and
meet other weekly attendance (see Attendance on page 9). Each week’s DQs are a formal assignment and
subject to limits per DB instructions provided each week, as well as and the Writing Standards listed below.
You should do a COPY and PASTE of your answers in the DISCUSSION BOARD section of the
classroom. You may also COPY and PASTE the actual question(s) in your posting, but repetition of these
do not count towards the required words for the answer. To assure credit, each student should create a
thread for their DQ posting (write something like Week 1 DQ – Jane Doe). To make sure you correctly
posted, be sure to check back on the board after posting to make sure you can read your posting word-for-
word. This takes an extra minute, but it is well worth the effort and might guarantee you credit for the
submission. I advise creating your answers in a Word document and then copy/paste them in the DB. Be
sure to reference sources used generously as a way to avoid problems (see Statement on Plagiarism on
page 7 and Academic Dishonesty on page 10).
Discussion Questions Appearance
Grammatik and "Tools" aside, it is recommended to post your answers written in the past tense. These do
not need to be an attachment to the posting, just a neat presentation under these guidelines below. If you
choose to make them an attachment; they must be in Times New Roman font with a 12-pitch font. In
DQs, single spacing is acceptable. Be sure to source note in whatever paper format you choose. If you
want to source a direct quote or paraphrase from page 51 in Gehring per APA style, it goes immediately
after the citation/sentence and should look like this (Gehring, 2004, p 51). MLA and Chicago styles have
their respective counterparts – Whichever you choose, just be consistent and generous in notes. As a rule
of thumb when in doubt, source note and you are on the way to earning points. It is imperative to
document your writing. References only count if they can be clearly seen in written academic work.
Standards for Written Work:
For quality, I always advise writing your DQs in a word processor and then copy/paste to the DB.
You should regard the DQs as a weekly assignment, almost like a take-home writing exam. The
Mid-Term Exam is similar to a take-home assignment.
All written work should be (1) in complete sentences, (2) in correct English, (3) spell-checked,
and (4) in the correct APA, Chicago, or MLA note style. An unrecognized style or an apparent hybrid
of these formats will result in a grade reduction. If you are unfamiliar with any of these formats, they can
be quickly learned and abridged versions of their specifics are available in bookstores and libraries.
References and citations should be appropriately listed. Note the unique APA case use in capitalization.
Print out a hard copy of your paper and then proofread it--Ask someone else to read it before submission.
Avoid (1) use of personal pronouns, (2) use of “feel” and “that” [the latter word can be often deleted
without sentence harm or substituted with “how” or “which],” (3) single-sentence paragraphs,
(4) present tense participles [ing words], (5) contractions, (6) posing questions to the reader and, (7) long,
run-on sentences. Twenty percent of the submission’s grade will be based on content, clarity and style
As you can see, by putting these in color, I place a tremendous stock in neatly prepared work. Aside
from substance, work reflecting an application of these standards will receive the appropriate recognition.
The instructor reserves the right to deem a submission as “unacceptable” if not written according to these
standards. Before submission of the assignment, print it out, read it aloud, and ask someone else to read it
too.
Documenting Your Work
All DQs must be source noted. To get credit you need to source note all work. If you paraphrase and/or
directly quote from sources, a note needs to be added. If APA and MLA is used, this goes write after the
sentence. It becomes a footnote/endnote. Absent notes, the assignment will not receive points.
Statement on Plagiarism
Writers sometimes plagiarize ideas from outside sources without realizing they are doing so. Put
simply, you plagiarize if you present other writer's words and ideas as your own. Students in particular,
should be aware how this can be noticed obviously by instructors - Some writing just reads a certain way
(just too good for undergraduate level writing) and tip off the plagiarism. You do not plagiarize if you
"provide citations for all direct quotations and paraphrases, for borrowed ideas, and for facts not
considered to be common knowledge" (Crews and VanSant, 407). This is an APA style source note. For
example, common knowledge would be, "The St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series of 2006.” A
paraphrase of information is summarizing and item, usually with the idea of making a critical analysis or
comment. For example, “The New York Mets were favorites to beat the Cardinals in 2006, but the team
suffered from serious pitching injuries at season’s end.” This is not absolutely common knowledge and
requires some note showing from where you derived this observation. So the goal is to generously place
notes in your paper. If you use web sites, list the URL in the note. When in doubt, insert a note. Such use
usually leads to good marks.
When in doubt on use of a source, insert the material used. It is for your own protection as the university
takes an extremely dim view on plagiarism, also described as “unoriginal work.” The instructor reserves
the right to fail any student who plagiarizes or does not give appropriate attribution to paraphrased material
(see Academic Honesty below). It should be added, plagiarism is fairly easy to discern. It can lead to
serious academic penalties, including assignment failure, course failure, and even expulsion from the
university. Take it from a veteran, better to get a zero for something than to plagiarize. See Academic
Dishonesty below for additional information.
Warning on Web-Based Research
Certainly feel free to examine the web (go under the search engines) for additional information. You
might be directed to do some of this in the weekly assignments. It is suggested to use web sites with
verifiable authors. I have seen some good students unknowingly use questionable web sites with
disastrous results (e.g., A student in an on ground course once did an oral summary based heavily on
web research. She reported Eleanor Roosevelt denied a public viewing of FDR before his funeral because
of disfigurement due to his suicide with a gun. This was the first time I ever heard of a Roosevelt suicide
and it totally runs counter to major scholarly biographies in the field.). Frequently, sites associated with a
URL featuring the extension .edu are likely to be sound – But it is good to get more than one opinion on
even factual data. The Hayden Library has online collections and hardcopy collections for you to use.
Be on time with DQ Submissions (and be different with sources)
It is very easy for the instructor and others in class to see if someone is actually copying a class
member’s work and simply turn to the exact same sources. This practice should be avoided. It can lead
to plagiarism investigation (see Academic Dishonesty on page 10). There is literally a world of sources to be
used. Avoid the first smorgasbord of sites offered you in Google and other browsers. Be creative in web
sites and impress the instructor with materials referenced from scholarly articles available in the online
database of the Hayden Library (more on this below).
Do Not Cite Encyclopedias (you can lose points by doing so)
I am not impressed with research done with encyclopedias and almanacs (i.e., Encarta, Britannica,
Wikipedia, World Book, etc.). I also have these tools readily available and seldom need them. These kinds of
materials are much too general and as a rule, simply rehash the text. You certainly can consult
encyclopedias and almanacs on your own – They can be interesting. But in our kind of upper division,
academic work, they simply are best left alone for authoritative citation. Go for new material, fresh
interpretations, sole subject works and the like. You will see they are much more intellectually stimulating.
With the Hayden Online Library, many great journals, magazines, newspapers, etc., are at your fingertips.
I WILL WRITE THIS DARK RED. DO NOT CONSULT WIKIPEDIA (“THE FREE
ENCYCLOPEDIA”) AS IT IS AN UNRELIABLE SOURCE SOMETIMES FILLED WITH
SKEWED/BIASED INFORMATION AND EVEN HOAXES. UNLIKE DATABASES BOUGHT
BY LIBRARIES, THIS “FREE” SITE IS UNFILTERED AND NOT PEER REVIEWED. AS A
RESOURCE IT CAN CAUSE GOOD STUDENTS TO PERFORM POORLY.
How to Use the Hayden Online Library (These are the “keys to the kingdom.”)
NOTE: If you are located off campus you will have to login using you ASU ID, last name, and ASU pin.
FILM INDEXES ONLINE (covers all films in our course time period)
1) Type in your browser: asu.edu/lib
2) On the library home page, click FIND
3) At FIND, click All Resources
4) At All Resources, scroll down to Film Indexes Online (1893+)
5) At Film Indexes Online (1893+) you can browse through either the AFI Catalog or Film Index
International.
ACADEMIC SEARCH PREMIER or EBSCOhost (holds the “Film and Television Film Index”)
1) Type in your browser: asu.edu/lib
2) On the library home page, click Find
3) At Find, click Articles (by Topic)
4) At Articles, Click Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost)
5) At Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost), click to access the database
6) At Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost), click tab on top toolbar (Choose Databases)
7) Scroll down 11 lines/databases until you see to “Film and Television Film Index” Check boxes for Full
Text and Peer Reviewed articles. Click and then type in at Find, type “baseball films” and then let the
database search.
PROQUEST/HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS
1) Type in your browser: asu.edu/lib
2) On the library home page, click Find
3) At Find, click Articles (by Topic)
4) At Articles/Research Databases, scroll through the alphabet and click “P” for ProQuest
5) At ProQuest, you will see the historical Atlanta Constitution, 1868-1929, Chicago Defender, 1905-
1975, Hartford Courant, 1764-1984, Los Angeles Times, 1881-1984, New York Times (1851-2003),
and Washington Post, 1877-1990. Once you have a name and/or topic, set the year/date parameters.
To try out the New York Times, at “Basic Search,” type White Sox Players Throw World Series and set
the parameters for the dates, 01/01/1919 to 01/01/1925, hit “Search” and then 17 documents should come
up. Also try different word combinations and other words to find additional related stories.
LEXISNEXIS ACADEMIC (excellent for public affairs and policy issues)
1) Type in your browser: asu.edu/lib
2) On the library home page, click Find
3) At Find, click Articles (by Topic)
4) At Articles, Click LexisNexis Academic
5) At LexisNexis Academic page, click to access the database
6) At LexisNexis Academic descriptive home page, Click
7) This should bring you to “Quick News Search.” Type whatever interests you in the box and let the
database search.
JSTOR (excellent for historical articles)
1) Type in your browser: asu.edu/lib
2) On the library home page, click Find
3) At Find, click Articles (by Topic)
4) At Articles, type JSTOR (to Get Index)
5) Under the search bar entitled “Search for specific index by name” enter JSTOR, and then press “go.”
6) You should click on the JSTOR link when it appears.
7) On this page you should once again click on the link entitled “JSTOR.”
8) After logging in the JSTOR page should appear, once it does click on the link entitled “search.”
9) On the right-hand side of the page next to the search bar you should click on the link for “advanced
search.”
10) Once you have reached this page you should type “baseball films” into the search bar, then highlight the
topic journals you think relate to the subject of this course, such as sports, major leagues, etc. You might
be prompted to narrow the search with other terms and/or proper nouns (1499 entries are listed as
of May 28, 2008) or any of the names found in the texts into the topic line/white box.
For those unfamiliar with electronic collections, this is a rapid learning process. For everyone, this course
is an excellent opportunity to develop sophisticated research skills.
If you have questions on how to use the online collections, call the Reference Desk at Hayden Library and
they can walk you through each step. The Reference Librarian phone number is 480/965-6164.
Other Resources
• Free subscriptions to online editions of major US/British newspapers can be found at their home pages.
For a given city/publication, do a search at or and you should find the links.
• (Internet Movie Database filled with film/production/cast details, film trailers, etc.)
Attendance
Class begins on Monday, June 2 and finishes in terms of active online class participation on Friday, July 4
At 11:59 pm. MST. There will be a lecture posted by the instructor at the start of each course week. There
Will be a Discussion Board available to post answers t o the question(s) posed at the end of the lecture (see page 7). Aside from this, the student will be minimally required each week to make at least two (2) postings on other student’s DQs and/or any other Discussion Board posted by the instructor on two (2) different days.
These postings beyond the student’s own DQs should reflect a thorough reading of the given thread and are
to be substantive. If you reference something, insert this for everyone to know from where the information is derived. At a minimum, a posting in response to another student should be 75-100 words to be an adequate expression. Bottom Line: The student has to make two (2) postings per week on two (2) different days (besides the lecture DQ submissions) to be in attendance compliance.
The attendance calendar is as follows:
Week 1: June 2 - 8
Week 2: June 9 - 15
Week 3: June 16 - 22
Week 4: June 23 - 29
Week 5: June 30 – July 4 [NOTE: This last week is short.]
Failure to make the minimal of two (2) postings per week on other student’s answers or an entirely
new Discussion Board opened by the instructor will result in a full, grade point reduction. Again
these postings are to read over other student’s DQs and making at least two substantive comments (on two
different days) or responding to a new thread started by the instructor or one started by a classmate. You
may also reply (make attendance) to someone who has made an observation on your DQ thread. The
instuctor reserves the right to lower a final grade further for any additional absences beyond one
week. Late postings on a board beyond the weekly calendar will not count towards attendance or awarding
of points in the given week.
Recapitulation of Course Weekly Written and Exam Requirements:
1. Weekly Discussion Questions submitted on the listed dates (see schedule immediately above here).
2. Along with DQs, make at least two (2) additional quality postings on two (2) other days of the week
(aside from the DQ due date) in either the DQs board in reply to fellow students or answer any of the
other active boards created by the instructor.
3. Submission of online written Mid-Term Exam on Friday, June 13.
4. Submission of online written Final Exam on Friday, July 4.
Withdrawals and Incompletes
Academic Dishonesty
Film and Media Studies abides by ASU’s Office of Student Life: “Student Academic Integrity Policy.” See:
Any student in class who is from another college or university is subject to the ASU policy listed herein.
myasucourses Information
For issues relating to ASURITE and password, call 480/965-6500, option zero (0) (Note: Weekdays and
weekends they take calls from 6:30 a.m.-12:00 a.m. MST. You can also email: myasu-q@asu.edu (When
they are in; the staff usually turns around emails in 24 hrs.
Your instructor can help you with course subject matter. For specifics on how to use myASU (Blackboard)
software, it is necessary to go to the contacts above. It is presumed the student will take the requisite time to
familiarize themselves with the software on or before the first day of class.
There is a tutorial designed to be helpful with operation of myASU.
One you reach the course site, an array of buttons will appear on your left portion of the screen.
• The ANNOUNCEMENTS page is the default page which comes up when you enter a course and
• shows all the announcements posted for the course.
• The COURSE INFORMATION section contains information relating to the course – for example, the syllabus will be posted here.
• The STAFF INFORMATION section contains information on the instructor and teaching assistant.
• The COURSE DOCUMENTS sections material for the course. You will be advised when something here has been posted.
• The ASSIGNMENTS section contains assignments for the course.
• The COMMUNICATION section contains links to the discussion board, virtual chat, and group pages,
and allows you to send email. This is where you will post your answers to the weekly Discussion
Questions and comments on other student’s postings.
• DISCUSSION BOARD (Post here the weekly DQs – see pp 5-6.)
• The EXTERNAL LINKS section contains links to the Websites.
• The TOOLS sections contain the Digital Drop Box, your course grade, calendar, address book, etc. The Digital Drop Box records the day/time when your exam papers are uploaded.
Course Reading and Viewing Schedule (subject to change)
Read according to this schedule for the Discussion Boards and exams. Feel free to read and view ahead
since exams will include all of their contents.
06/02 – Week 1 - Class begins
[Gehring, Preface, Introduction, First Inning; Most & Rudd, Preface, Chapters 1, 2]
Screenings – Baseball as History
Eight Men Out (1988)
A League of Their Own (1992)
06/03 – Drop/Add ends
06/05 – Week 1 Discussion Questions due
06/09 – Week 2
[Gehring, Second Inning, Third Inning, Ninth Inning; Most & Rudd, Chapters 3, 6, 9]
Screenings – Baseball as Biography
The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
The Jackie Robinson Story (1950)
The Rookie (2002)
06/12 – Week 2 Discussion Questions due
06/13 – Mid-Term Exam administered for 24 hrs. online
06/15 – Deadline for course withdrawal
06/16 – Week 3
[Most & Rudd, Chapter 5, 7]
Screenings – Baseball as Documentary
The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (1999)
This Old Cub (2004)
06/19– Week 3 Discussion Questions due (You are responsible for Week 3 viewing/reading for Mid-Term
Exam)
06/23 – Week 4
[Gehring, Fourth Inning, Fifth Inning, Seventh Inning, Eight Innings; Most & Rudd, Chapter 4]
Screenings – Baseball Film as Reality, Myth and Fantasy
Damn Yankees (1960) [an edited version will be streaming at External Links]
The Natural (1984)
Field of Dreams (1989)
06/26 – Week 4 Discussion Questions due
06/30 – Week 5
[Gehring, Sixth Inning, Epilogue; Most & Rudd, Chapters 8, 10]
Screenings – Baseball Films as Agents of Hope
The Bad News Bears (1976) version with Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neal
Bull Durham (1988)
07/03 – Week 5 Discussion Questions due (early submission date due this week)
07/04 – End of online instruction and all weekly attendance submissions
Final Exam administered for 24 hrs. online
Additional Information
Reading and Study Guidance
Do not be distressed to find the films and readings do not perfectly match one another. The selected films are
designed to be visuals used to illustrate text and class discussion topics.
To “master” the material, I advise the following:
Video Viewing
• Take notes on them as you would any regular on ground class lecture.
• Consider writing a summary of each film at the end to assure your understanding of the material.
• Use a yellow highlight marker and underline what you see as important concepts and terms.
• It can be helpful to review the tape(s) again in advance of the exam because all other course related
material might shed new light on information discussed previously.
Text Reading
Upon completion of a chapter in Gehring and/or Most & Rudd is to write a summary of what was discussed.
• Ultimately, you want to produce your own “Study Guide” with the materials. The books began as an outline proposal to a publisher. Take the “meat” of these materials back to a skeleton. Use a chronology to construct an outline. Put the “meat” on the outline with a sentence or two for clarity/meaning.
• For research and study, the Hayden Library will also be open during Summer Session. Hours vary so
students should be directed to this website.
• Lastly, practice for the Final Exam by putting yourself in the instructor’s role and determine what you would pose as essay questions and IDs. You can also contact others in class for either online, phone or even in-person “brainstorming” sessions in advance of exams. Class member’s emails are available in
COMMUNICATION on the left button menu on the course home page.
Late Work and Make-ups:
DQs are accepted through their due dates at 11:59 p.m. each week. Late work is reduced 10% per day.
Unless there is an emergency (documentation required), there will be a substantial penalty for failure to
take exams on their scheduled dates.
06/08
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