His big swing led to escalating home run totals that not only drew fans to the ballpark and boosted the sport's popularity but also helped usher in the live-ball era of baseball, in which it evolved from a low-scoring game of strategy to a sport where the home run was a major factor. ... In his final years, Ruth made many public appearances, especially in support of American efforts in World War II. ...

• Word Count: 541
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

The film like the novel romanticizes everything about the game of baseball, even the darker aspects gambling, temptation, corruption. ... A good example of this is when Levinson borrows Malamud's material to show Hobbs' three great home runs, his debut, where he proves that he does still possesses something great, the one in which he breaks out of his slump, where he redeems himself in the eyes of the team, the fans, and himself and his final at-bat where the redemption is complete. ...

• Word Count: 799
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate