So, too, it is with baseball. The game concludes not as in other sports when the clock winds down amid frantic, last-minute maneuverings, but when the last man is out. In the game of baseball, patience is definitely an asset. A good hitter stands as a paragon of this virtue; the fielders must remain alert even when faced with long periods of inactivity. With the loss of the traditional ties known in a rural society, baseball has given to many the feeling of belonging.
With the 1860s came the Civil War. Instead of hindering the spread of baseball, it served to aid in its progression, securing its place in the hearts of the American people. Although it had boasted popularity prior to the war, it really took off at this particular time, especially among the soldiers. It was no longer only a game for "gentlemen, but now for the common man "a morale builder, an opportunity for diversion "enabling them to forget the rigors and sorrows of the war at hand. It fostered team spirit and unity, allowing both officers and enlisted men to compete as equals, to play side by side, regardless of rank. Players earned their places on the team based solely on athletic prowess, not social standing. .
These units of enhanced camaraderie, along with the spread of nationalistic fervor at the time, facilitated baseball's enduring link with patriotism. The game became a vital part of the lives of both enlisted and civilian men "but it was the soldiers themselves who made baseball the All-American team sport that we know today. Baseball's rapidly growing popularity at that time was largely the result of surging American nationalism. The game was beginning to supply emblems for democracy, industry, and community that would change America and the world.
The attraction of the game in those early days was first the novelty and exhilaration of play, second the opportunity for the common man to expend energy in a competitive yet enjoyable setting, and third, to create a sort of harmony throughout America.