For my research project I researched the history of professional baseball in North Carolina. My thesis was that despite never having a major league team, North Carolina still has a rich history with professional baseball. I tried to argue my thesis in two ways. One way was by just showing how extensive the sport’s history in North Carolina is, which is why I highlighted things like the early professional leagues and a few specific teams. The other thing I tried to do was highlight important moments from baseball’s history that occurred in North Carolina, like Babe Ruth’s first pro home run and the shortest game in recorded history. My goal was to prove that North Carolina and its professional teams and leagues have been an important part of baseball’s history, and to prove that a state doesn’t have to have a major league team to contribute to the sport’s development. One thing I did struggle with on this project was finding academic literature. I found some great pieces of journalism, but didn’t find a ton of prior academic research. Overall though, I was happy with how my presentation turned out.
