Module 3 - Short Paper

Johnathon Blake Davis

2-1 Milestone One: Draft of Overview and Societal

SPT 510

Professor Ledford

June 18, 2022

2-1 Milestone One: Draft of Overview and Societal

Topicc: Major League Baseball - Pete Rose Gambling 1989

Major League Baseball is a professional baseball organization founded in 1876; it is known as the famous oldest professional sports league in the world. Originated in the United States, the organization has headquarters in a number of other countries and counties. Players in the MLB belong to different racial identities, but most are white, making up 78% of all professional players. There are 7.2% Hispanics and 6.8% African Americans (Zippia, 2022). Major League Baseball has remained a responsible team for serving the community through their performance or extra efforts to enhance communities. A statement by the vice president of corporate social responsibility at Major League Baseball shows the organization's commitment to serving the expectations of community members in different ways. The statement is, “Major League Baseball strives to provide the premier form of athletic entertainment in a manner that is fun and socially responsible while strengthening and enhancing the communities in which we operate” (LeGrande, 2020). Through these efforts, the league established a positive image in the community and engaged fans.

Moreover, looking at the organization's history, a number of embarrassing acts by well-known and praised players imply a greater effect on the social perception of the organization. Pete Rose was a famous baseball player who set dozens of records because of his desire to win and aggressive play. Working as a baseball player for three decades, Pete Rose breaks the record of Ty Cobbs for the most hits ever. He made this achievement on September 11, 1985, and earned a nine-minute ovation over it. Because of his overwhelming career in baseball, he earned the nickname "Charlie Hustle" from his fans. He also worked as Red's manager. In 1989, news emerged that Pete Rose was gambling on the baseball team (ABC, 2022). This news sets numerous debates about the super-hit leader of the baseball team and whether he could do this or not. Rose didn't admit his gambling for fifteen years, and investigations remained in the process. Investigations in 1989 revealed Rose's history of gambling on different sports, but at this time, he gambled on his team in baseball. In 2004, Rose confessed his gambling in his publication, "My Prison without Bars,” along with his grievance and regrets for lying with baseball officials for fifteen years (ABC, 2022). Upon asking about his confession, Rose replied that he thinks it's time to take responsibility as he is already fourteen years old. After the confession, the league bans Rose that he cannot participate in Major League Baseball or any baseball organization as he is no longer eligible for the hall of fame.

One of the major effects of this case on the organization was that they lost their legend, who used to play as his passion and won most of the matches for the organization. Before that event, Pete Rose was a player with huge fan bases who came into the stadium wearing Red's glasses in his support. But after his confession of gambling in baseball, the organization lost the fan base and stadium crowds. Fans are action-loving, and when they do not find something interesting happening around, they won't come out to make crowds. After that incident, MLB introduced numerous changes in its operations and structure. For example, the organization considered increasing players' salaries to prevent them from choosing dark sides for money. Rose committed gambling for money, and for money, he didn't care about the name he made in the heads of his fans. An act of a player disturbed the position of MLB in a community where it established a strong image by working on its players (Nightenagle, 2018).

Societal Perception: Values and Purpose

The event discussed above by a player of Major League Baseball takes place in the United States. The community coincides sports with cultural values as it defines ethics and morals attributed to athletes and society. Sports and sports organizations are essential parts of the U.S. community where people practice it to enhance their physical and mental well-being daily. People are emotionally connected with their favorite players in the community where the event happened. Sports comprise cultural and communal importance for Americans.

Along with Major League Baseball, several other sports organizations are working for the community to help them participate in different programs to enhance their living standards (Macri, 2012). Private, government and community-based sports organizations have different goals and perceptions. Major League Baseball established a positive image of the organization in the community by adopting a practical community engagement strategy. The organization serves poor and helpless people by providing them with food and other necessities.

The community understands the organization's purpose because baseball is not just a sport for Americans but a symbol of their integrity. Thus, the organization's ability to provide equal opportunities to everyone is praised at the community level. The organization plays its corporate social responsibility activities to maintain a positive impression on the community and eliminate harm to people. According to a recent survey, Major League Baseball is the most popular baseball team in North America, and the majority of fans of the organization are aged 35-44 years (Gough, 2022). A number of community-focused programs initiated by the organization set a positive perception on a community level.

Societal Perception: Reinforces Cultural Norms

The organization has perpetuated a positive image since its origin because of its community-centered approach, profitable economy, fan base and corporate social responsibility. But the event that happened in 1989 distorted the community's perception of the organization. Gambling was severe conduct in baseball, affecting the organization's value because Americans are closely connected with baseball players. The organization lost its fan-base ratio, its economy slightly drowned, and numerous other challenges occurred. Gambling is an ethical, legal and moral theft, and it was conducted by a super-hit player of the organization that initiated a major responsibility towards the organization. Cultural norms that the organization is committed to delivering were in question. But by punishing the player who committed gambling, the organization delivers a message to the community that gambling is not acceptable by anyone, whether a practitioner or a super-hit player. The organization is committed to preserving core human values and showcasing the values, heritage and norms of baseball by serving the needs of players (MLB, 2014). The incident also affected the organization's social perception because it failed to preserve baseball values and norms.

After that incident, the organization changed its player management structures to improve players' positions by increasing salaries so that players do not choose dark ways to earn money. That event was a dark spot on the community-centered approach of the league, and the action of a famous player put the organization in enormous challenges.

References

ABC. (2022). Pete Rose Admits He Bet on Baseball. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=132415&page=1

Gough, C. (2022, June 16). MLB interest level in the U.S. 2022, by age. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1100122/interest-level-baseball-age/

LeGrande, M. (2020, December 23). “Major League Baseball strives to provide the premier form of athletic entertainment in a manner that is fun and socially responsible while strengthening and enhancing the communities in which we operate.”. Retrieved from https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-community-efforts-for-2020-holiday-season

Macri, K. J. (2012). Not Just a Game: Sport and Society in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1664/not-just-a-game-sport-and-society-in-the-united-states

MLB. (2014). MLB (Major League Baseball) mission statement. Retrieved from https://mission-statement.com/mlb-mission/#:~:text=We%20achieve%20our%20beliefs%20by,the%20unique%20needs%20of%20players.

Nightenagle, B. (2018, May 14). MLB is powerless to stop gambling on baseball. That doesn't mean it should endorse it. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2018/05/14/mlb-gambling/609719002/

Zippia. (2022, April 18). PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYER DEMOGRAPHICS AND STATISTICS IN THE US. Retrieved from https://www.zippia.com/professional-baseball-player-jobs/demographics/