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Invention & Ingenuity

Build a better mousetrap … and some American will build a better mouse! Yankee ingenuity is legendary. The same spirit of invention that nourished the nation's industrial and economic growth is also a recurring part of the baseball story.

The game itself is science in action. Physics explains the effect of bat on ball or the trajectory of a pitch. Ballclubs look for ways to understand the underlying scientific principles … and exploit them. In 1938, the Chicago Cubs hired researchers to study players physically and psychologically. Today, teams of nutritionists, trainers, and experts analyze every aspect of the game. Baseball continues to experiment with new materials and equipment, such as batters' body armor.

Innovation also flourishes off the field. Overcoming initial hesitation, baseball eventually capitalized on radio and television's potential. Pioneering partnerships with the new mass media, the game reshaped our sense of belonging to a community — perhaps its most profound innovation of all.

To learn more about the exhibit, select a section below:

Our National Spirit
Ideals & Injustices
Rooting for the Team
Enterprise & Opportunity
Sharing a Common Culture
Invention & Ingenuity
Weaving Myths

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