Historians of 19Th Century Baseball: Exploring Their
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HISTORIANS OF 19TH CENTURY BASEBALL: EXPLORING THEIR EXPERIENCES REGARDING THEIR AVOCATION by Wade Berstler A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The College of Education In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida August 2016 i Copyright 2016 by Wade Berstler ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to take this time to acknowledge the people who contributed so much of themselves to make sure this dissertation process came to successful fruition. My deepest heartfelt thanks must go to the person who has mentored me from the interview for acceptance into the doctoral program, to holding my hand as I navigated through the Educational Leadership curriculum, which was uncharted territory for this American History master’s graduate. She has seen me at my worst, while still believing my best is yet to come. She never wavered in my resolve of the academic worthiness of the subject matter I have chosen to pursue. She has nudged, coddled, nurtured, kicked-in-the-pants, all when necessary—and sometimes all at once—throughout this difficult process. It will be my great honor and pleasure to be hooded by my professor, academic advisor, committee chair, and most importantly, my friend, Dr. Valerie Bryan. My undying gratitude and appreciation to the rest of my dissertation committee members: Dr. Eliah Watlington, Dr. Ralph G. Brockett, and Dr. Stephen D. Engle. Thank you for your time, infinite patience, expertise, and invaluable contributions to this endeavor. I am grateful that you have seen fit to travel this long, and often times bumpy, journey, for and with me. I would also like to extend my sincerest gratitude to my Society for American Baseball research friends at the Frederick Ivor-Campbell Conference on 19th Century Baseball History. For the past five years, each have made meaningful contributions to the research without complaint. The support and congeniality made the data gathering iv process bearable. I am indebted to them. However, special thanks to these six interview participants: Richard Hershberger, Joanne Hulbert, Joe Mancuso, Eric Miklich Tom Shieber, and Bob Tholkes. I cannot thank them enough for their valuable time, insight, and candor. I am humbled to be part of such a fine group of individuals. In addition, this study would not have been possible without the help and cooperation of Jim Gates and the staff of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The emotional and mental nadir of this laborious academic journey certainly took its toll, but without the encouragement of the faculty and staff of the Florida Atlantic University-Davie campus, my education may have come to a premature end. The following mentors and colleagues held me up and pushed me forward regardless of obstacles. A special profound thanks to Laura Snellgrove-Cushing, Dr. Rivka Felsher, Stephanie McDaniel, Dr. Kristin Brittain, Dr. Liz Swann, Dr. Ann Musgrove, and the late Dr. Fran Kamin for the encouragement and compassion. The same may be said for a small circle of friends outside academia who believed in me when I doubted myself. I cannot thank Paul Baker, Sheldon Birman, Jason Jenkins, Jay Korngold, Art Petinsky, and Walter Bussell enough. Cliché aside, last but certainly not least, I would like to thank my wife, Helen Berstler, and my son, Cory Wade Berstler. Helen worked two jobs for quite a substantial portion of my educational sojourn. She believed I had “it” in me when I thought I was in over my head. Even when illness befell her, her support never wavered. Cory has taught me so much about being a good father, a good student, and a good man. My desire for them to be as proud of me as I am of them provided the inspiration necessary to v persevere. Without their love providing the bedrock, this dissertation would have never been possible. I can never pay back what Helen and Cory have given so freely to me. vi ABSTRACT Author: Wade Berstler Title: Historians of 19th Baseball: Exploring Their Experiences Regarding Their Avocation Institution: Florida Atlantic University Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Valerie Bryan Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Year: 2016 The following document offers a qualitative case study in the field of adult and community education from an educational leadership perspective using baseball as an adult learning tool. Relevant existing theories (adult education, lifelong learning, adult learners, and certain leadership practices) for successful facilitation of historical baseball research were examined. The study focused on a purposeful sample population upon which a pilot study was conducted, revealing the experiences of adult self-directed learners who produce the seminal work in their field as an avocation. The findings of this study included, but are not limited to, the passionate approach the study group members have for their subject matter, their love of learning, and the self-directedness of non- formally trained research historians using baseball as an adult learning tool. The findings also revealed the group members belief in the academic worthiness of baseball history, and their willingness to share their work with others to advance the field. vii HISTORIANS OF 19TH CENTURY BASEBALL: EXPLORING THEIR EXPERIENCES REGARDING THEIR AVOCATION List of Tables .................................................................................................................... xii List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xiii I. Introduction ......................................................................................................................1 Rationale ........................................................................................................................6 Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................7 Research Questions ........................................................................................................7 Significance ....................................................................................................................7 Definition of Terms ........................................................................................................9 Limitations and Delimitations ......................................................................................11 Summary ......................................................................................................................12 Organization of the Study ............................................................................................13 II. Literature Review ..........................................................................................................14 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................15 Adult Learning, Lifelong Learning, and Self-directed Learning .................................16 Adult Learning .......................................................................................................16 Lifelong Learning ..................................................................................................17 Self-directed Learning ...........................................................................................20 Leadership ....................................................................................................................21 Leadership Characteristics .....................................................................................21 viii Transformational Leadership .................................................................................25 Baseball History Literature ..........................................................................................26 Historical Relevance of Baseball Research .................................................................27 Baseball Statistics ........................................................................................................28 Social Mobility and Baseball .......................................................................................30 Labor and Baseball ......................................................................................................33 Baseball and Industry ...................................................................................................35 III. Design of the Study ......................................................................................................37 Research Sample ..........................................................................................................39 Study Site .....................................................................................................................39 Research Setting ...........................................................................................................42 Research Questions ......................................................................................................42 Participant Recruitment ...............................................................................................43 Instrumentation ............................................................................................................44 Data Collection Plan ....................................................................................................44 Data Analysis Plan and Coding ...................................................................................46