Page 60 - Introduction to Electronic Commerce and Social Commerce

Sport on Film • 49

communal and wholesome experience that can lead people back to important things
in life, the antithesis of an individualistic and commercialised rat race that is out of
control and dehumanising. Other recurring themes include nostalgia, the value of
family, the pure love of the game and the importance of community.

Locomotion

Baseball players travel on the team bus or, in some cases, on a train. These scenes
focus on the dynamics between players or players, coaches and management as well
as outsiders such as journalists and fans. Key scenes, such as the seduction of Roy
Hobbs in The Natural, initial arguments and the eventual bonding of coach and play-
ers in A League of Their Own, and Crash’s training of young superstar Nuke in the
ways of baseball in Bull Durham, are all located in the context of travelling to the
next game. The contained space of the team bus, car or train positions players in
close proximity to each other, and here they may bond, work through confl icts and

learn about the self and others. As the film progresses, changes in interactions be-
tween players may indicate maturation, integration and friendship. For example, in
Bull Durham, the relationship between Nuke and Crash changes from antagonism to
trust as Nuke begins to take his mentor Crash’s advice and develops from an arrogant
rookie to a more mature player.

Costume

Baseball uniforms are distinctive and locate characters as players for particular teams

as well as situating them in a specific historical period. The uniforms in A League
of Their Own also signify the players’ gender. Donning a uniform can communicate
that a player has made it to the top and achieved at least one part of his or her quest.
In Bad News Bears, the uniforms bearing the logo of the sponsor ‘Bo-Peep’s Gentle-
man’s Club’—a silhouette of a female in a suggestive pose—connote the dissolution
of the coach and the positioning of the team as outsiders.

Weaponry

The baseball bat serves as a player’s way of expressing dominance, skill and suc-
cess. Scoring the winning run represents the epitome of the hero’s quest. The bat is
most clearly marked as signifi cant in The Natural, constructed by the youthful hero
Hobbs from a tree struck by lightning. Hobbs emblazoned it with the name ‘Wonder
Bat’ and an image of the lightning bolt. The childlike bat recalls his past innocence
and lost dreams and ultimately serves as his signature weapon as he leads his team
to victory after victory.