Baseball America's National Sport

[Martin_Hyde]

Well we all know that Baseball isn’t America’s most popular sport. It still however carries the moniker “the National Pastime.”

I’ve heard at various points throughout my life, though that Baseball is actually codified as the “official” Sport of the United States. I’ve tried to search through the U.S. Code but found it particularly unhelpful.

Does anyone here know if it is or is not America’s “official” national sport?

I’ve heard conflicting reports on many different Sports Quizzes, news editorials et cetra.

[Jonathan_Chance]

I think the whole ‘National Pastime’ thing started with sports writing in the first half of the last century. Heck, maybe it goes back to Walt Whitman for all I know.

But other than some meaningless ‘Congressional Resolution’ I don’t see it as being officially recognized.

[samclem]

While not an official designation, the phrase goes all the way back to 1856 and was constantly used from then on.

Considering there weren’t too many foodball or basketball games at that time, you kinda become entrenched when you have an almost hundred year head start.

[fiddlesticks]

Baseball does have a special status granted to it because of a 1922 Supreme Court ruling that stated that baseball was not interstate commerce and thus was exempt from federal anti-trust laws. That’s baseball’s special nook within the U.S. Code. In the fifties, the Court ruled that the 1922 decision was in error, but left it up to Congress to change the exemption.

They never did until 1998, when Congress passed the Curt Flood Act which revoked baseball’s special status dealing with labor relations, but left the rest of the exemption in place. Back in the days leading up to the strike/lockout that never happened in 2002 there was some talk about revoking the exemption completely, but it was mostly forgotten after MLB and the Player’s Union stepped back from the brink.

[WernhamHogg]

@Jonathan Chance

I think the whole ‘National Pastime’ thing started with sports writing in the first half of the last century. Heck, maybe it goes back to Walt Whitman for all I know.

But other than some meaningless ‘Congressional Resolution’ I don’t see it as being officially recognized.

I think you must be joshing with the “heck, maybe.” Walt Whitman did say baseball was “our game… the American game.”

[Martin_Hyde]

I know quite well that it is an “unofficial designation.” I should have been a bit more clear, I’m looking for some clear evidence one way or the other. The fact that I cannot find any relevant laws while searching the U.S. Code doesn’t necessarily mean anything. The Code is vast and search engines aren’t perfect.

[Martin_Hyde]

@fiddlesticks

Baseball does have a special status granted to it because of a 1922 Supreme Court ruling that stated that baseball was not interstate commerce and thus was exempt from federal anti-trust laws. That’s baseball’s special nook within the U.S. Code. In the fifties, the Court ruled that the 1922 decision was in error, but left it up to Congress to change the exemption.

They never did until 1998, when Congress passed the Curt Flood Act which revoked baseball’s special status dealing with labor relations, but left the rest of the exemption in place. Back in the days leading up to the strike/lockout that never happened in 2002 there was some talk about revoking the exemption completely, but it was mostly forgotten after MLB and the Player’s Union stepped back from the brink.

That is precisely what I was looking for, thanks.