Event—Adult Education

A History of Baseball in Chicago

From A. G. Spalding and the Chicago White Stockings to Theo Epstein and the current-day Cubs, Chicago baseball has always played a vital role in the city’s cultural imagination. This course examines "the city game" and its place in Chicago, from the nineteenth century until now...

Cost and Registration Information

Early Registration Price (August 7 at 10 am – August 31 at 4 pm): $200
Regular Registration Price (August 31 at 4 pm – first day of class): $220

Members, seniors, and students get a 10% discount.

Register Online

Mark your Calendar!

The Newberry Bookstore will re-open on August 14, and you will once again be able to find most of your assigned books for sale there.

Seminar Description

From A. G. Spalding and the Chicago White Stockings to Theo Epstein and the current-day Cubs, Chicago baseball has always played a vital role in the city’s cultural imagination. This course examines "the city game" and its place in Chicago, from the nineteenth century until now, locating our Midwestern metropolis at the forefront of baseball's developments, successes, and scandals.

Six sessions. E - $200, L - $220

Kevin Kaufmann holds a PhD from Loyola University Chicago and specializes in American cultural history. He currently works at Loyola in the Center for Experiential Learning. He also hosts two podcasts: The History of the United States Podcast and Flowing Backward: A History of Chicago Podcast.

Materials List

Required:

  • Peter Levine, A.G. Spalding and the Rise of American Sport, Oxford University Press, 1985. ISBN 10: 0-195042204
  • Benjamin B. Rader, Baseball: A History of America's Game, 3rd edition, University of Illinois Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0252075506

First Reading:

  • For the first class, please read the first four chapters of the Levine book, A.G. Spalding and the Rise of American Sport.

This class is part of the Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program. Learn more about our registration procedures.