Saturday, November 16, 2013

TOW #9 - Article: "Why I Quit Major League Baseball" By Adrian Cárdenas

The Perfect Hit 

Baseball defines American culture. It is the sport that shows the spirit and pride of the American people. However, baseball puts a different image into some people's minds. In Adrian Cárdenas's blog post, "Why I Quit Major League Baseball," Cárdenas describes his experiences, feelings, accomplishments as a a major and minor league baseball player. When Cárdenas was 18, he was drafted by the Phillies, and that was when his baseball career kicked off. Playing in many minor leagues all over the nation, Cárdenas worked his way up to the major leagues, but since he was a rookie, he played in both leagues for a significant portion of his career. Cárdenas was in a good position in his career, but what caused him to quit Major League Baseball was his personal life. He had a passion for baseball, but when business took priority over the love for the sport, Cárdenas lost interest in playing professional baseball. At one point during his career, he went to New York University to purse a degree in writing and philosophy. This player was more interested in music, language, and academics because that was the way his parents brought him up, which explicitly reveals his purpose: money doesn't mean everything in life. Addressing his message to the general public, Cárdenas makes clear the purpose of his blog post primarily through reflective anecdotes. Cárdenas reflects on his experiences on and off the baseball field as being some of the most thrilling yet burdening times of this life. By presenting anecdotes, Cárdenas is able to illustrate the reasons that ultimately built up to his decision to quit the major leagues. Cárdenas's didactic blog post in The New Yorker successfully express the value that money isn't everything and by offering reflective anecdotes, Cárdenas makes a powerful statement to the public about his retirement.

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