33308 - Rawlings Ball and Glove

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Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

Little League baseball is a bond that connects many boys and some girls in our culture. In the earlier days of TV, when there were only three main networks, we all shared a common reference point. One could use a line from All in the Family and people would get it.

No longer. Our media so fragmented (hundreds of cable channels, thousands of video/audio podcasts, millions of web sites), it is difficult to find universal bonds today.

The feel of a scuffed baseball in our hands and the smell of a worn baseball mitt is one of those universal bonds for many Americans. The ritual is repeated every Spring from sea to shining sea.View the rest of the gallery here.