Future Projects

Seth’s future projects include a study of the role of professional baseball in integrating American cities. That project will examine how the end of segregated ballpark seating and the arrival of integrated teams impacted the integration of public accommodations. For example, the end of segregated seating in St. Louis and Vero Beach preceded the end of segregation in local restaurants and hotels but factored into their eventual integration. When the major leagues came to Baltimore and Houston, activists used the teams’ presence to push for integrated public accommodations. This research highlights the long-standing connection between sports and politics and the benefits of using sport to fight for equality.

Another future project examines baseball umpires whose personal identities were not those of the straight, white men who have historically dominated the professional umpiring ranks. In examining pioneering Black, gay, and female umpires, this project will shed light on the complex interplay between these umpires’ personal lives and their professional careers in a field that eschews individuality in favor of rigid conformity. To varying degrees and with varying levels of success, these umpires tried to hide who they were off the field in an attempt to be successful on the field.