http://www.nytimes.

com/1981/05/31/sports/whatisbaseballsmeaninganditseffectonameric
a.html?pagewanted=all

Step#1Paraphrase
Baseballmayappeartochangebutitreallyisnt.Baseballisreflectingsocietychangeasa
whole.Althoughbaseball,maynotbeourfavoritesportithasprovidedopportunityandbeinga
fanofbaseballisinourblood.

Step#2:Explicating
1. Baseballisadirectreflectionofselfcenteredsociety,butwehavetorememberthatit
reallyhaslastedjustaboutaslongasthiscountrysowecantrejectit.
2. Inotherwords,baseballplaysakeyroleinoursociety.Baseballhasbeenaround
beforetheautomobile,hasntbrokenupbecauseofwars,andhaslastedthrough
economicdepressions.Beingbaseballfansisinourbloodbecausefortheearlypartof
the20thcenturybaseballwastheonlysportthatwaspopularbecausefootballand
basketballhadjustbeeninvented.Baseballisnotchangingitsimplyischangingwith
society.Weareallchasingthebigmilliondollarcontractsbutnotactuallychasingwhat
mattersmosttous.Weareasinglepersonsocietywherestarsruntheshow.
3. Giveexamplesofthemeaningbytyingittoconcretesituationsintherealworld:
''America was the land of opportunity where even a poor boy could grow up to be
Babe Ruth, now the value of hard work is ever valued so opportunities are
diminished.
4. Generatemetaphors,analogies,pictures,ordiagramsofthebasicthesistoconnectitto
othermeaningsyoualreadyunderstand.
Baseballislikeamirror,itshowswhatishappeninginsocietyregardlessofwhatthe
peoplewanttoseeornotatall.Themirrorneverlies

Step#3:AnalyzingtheLogicofWhatweareReading
1. Themainpurposeofthisarticleistoshowthelastingimpactbaseballhasonthe
AmericanSociety.Theimpactwillneverbeforgottenhasbeenengrainedinourblood.
Notonlydoesbaseballactasaformofentertainment,italsoreflectswhatishappening
insociety.
2. Thekeyquestionthattheauthorisaddressingiswhyarepeopleshyingawayfrom
baseballeventhoughitisournationalpastime.
3. Themostimportantinformationinthisarticleisthatbaseballshouldneverbeadying
sportbecauseitdoessomuchtooureconomyandsociety,italsohelpedformthis
nationintowhatitistoday.(Youwanttoidentifythekeyinformationtheauthorused,or
presupposed,inthearticletosupporthis/hermainarguments.Hereyouarelookingfor
facts,experiences,datatheauthorisusingtosupporther/hisconclusions).
4. Themaininferences/conclusionsinthisarticleisthatbaseballisthebackboneofthis
nationandweshouldappreciateitforwhatitisworth.
5. Thekeyideaweneedtounderstandinthisarticleisbaseballisadirectreflectionof
howsocietyisworkingbothsociallyandeconomically.Bytheseideastheauthormeans

thatbaseballisthebackboneofthisnationifyoubelieveitornot.Ournationhasgrown
tohavingbaseballasaformofentertainmentandwaytowatchhowsocietyisoperating.
6. Themainassumption(s)underlyingtheauthorsthinkingisthattheauthorthinks
baseballisdyingandbecominglessprevalentinsociety.
7. Ifwetakethislineofreasoningseriously,theimplicationsarenotonlywillbaseballbe
morepopularasasport,peoplewillalsounderstandwhatitdoestoournation.Ifwefail
totakethislineofreasoningseriously,theimplicationsarethatbaseballwillneverregain
itspopularityandbaseballwillneverhavethesameimpactonsociety.
8. Themainpoint(s)ofviewpresentedinthisarticleisthatweshouldvaluebaseballas
oneofthemostimportantsportslikehowwevaluefootball.Baseballhasbeenaround
foralmost200yearsandpeopleneedtogivemorerespecttowhatitdoesforsociety.

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/leftout/
Step#1Paraphrase
AndrewMccutchenwhoisoneofbaseballsbestbaseballplayersdidntalwayshaveitsoeasy
growingup.Hegrewupinpovertybutusedbaseballtoprovideforhisfamily.
Step#2:Explicating
1. Baseballcanbeplayedbyjustaboutanyonewhereverwheneveranditcanbeplayed
byjustaboutanyone.Someplaybaseballforfunandsomeplaybaseballtohelp
themselvesgetoutofterriblelives.
2. Inotherwords,AndrewMccutchenisarguablythebestbaseballplayerontheplanet
andlivesanillustriouslife.Heneverhadthatlifegrowinguporanythingsomewhatclose
tothelifehelivesnow.Foodwasntalwaysonthetableandhewasfearingforhislife
everydayhelived.
3. Giveexamplesofthemeaningbytyingittoconcretesituationsintherealworld:Thisis
arealworldsituation.Thisisntmadeupatall.
4. Generatemetaphors,analogies,pictures,ordiagramsofthebasicthesistoconnectitto
othermeaningsyoualreadyunderstand.IwouldassumethatAndrewMccutchenrefers
tobaseballasbridge.Thebridgehasgottenhimoutofhisterriblelifepriortohis
baseballcareer.

Step#3:AnalyzingtheLogicofWhatweareReading
1. Themainpurposeofthisarticleistoshowthatbaseballisnotjustasporttoall,forsome
itistheirlifeandwaytogetoutoftheghetto.
2. Thekeyquestionthattheauthorisaddressingisthatyoucantakeyourlifeintoyour
handsanddosomethingyoulovebecauseitcanchangetherestofyourlife.
3. Themostimportantinformationinthisarticleistheideathatnomatteryour
race/ethnicityorpersonalwealthifyouworkhardyoucanmakesomethingoutofyour
life.
4. Themaininference/conclusioninthisarticleisthatifyouworkharditdoesntmatter
whereyoucomefromorwhoyouareyoucanmakesomethingoutofyourself.

5. Thekeyidea(s)weneedtounderstandinthisarticleisthatworkinghardisthekeytoall
success.Bytheseideastheauthormeansnomatteryourbackgroundyoucanbe
somethingspectacular.
6. Themainassumptionsunderlyingtheauthorsthinkingisthatnotalotofpeoplewholive
inimpoverishedareasdontevermakeitoutbecausetheyhaveaterribleworkethic.
Theauthorisunderminingthefactthatpeopledontmakeitoutoftheghettobecause
theyareoverlooked.
7. Ifwetakethislineofreasoningseriously,theimplicationisthatifweallworkhardwe
canallmakesomethingoutofourselves.Ifwefailtotakethislineofreasoningseriously,
theimplicationsarethatwewillnevervaluehardworkforwhatitisworth.
8. Themainpointofviewpresentedinthisarticleisthatnomatterwhoyouareorwhere
youcamefromyoucanmakesomethingoutofyourself.

Step#1Paraphrase
Thereisacorrelationbetweenwinningandamountofmoneypaidtoplayers.Thisdoesnt
explainwhysometeamsarealwaysintheplayoffseventhoughtheyhavesuchalowsalary?
Thewaypeoplewinwithsuchasmallbudgetisbecauseofcomraderyandtheycangetafew
goodplayersratherthan12superstars.
Step#2:Explicating
1. Statethemainpointofthearticleinoneortwosentences:Baseballisunlikeanyother
sportbecausewinscantbebought,theyhavetobehardearned.
2. Inotherwords,youcantcountoutanyoneinbaseball.Baseballistheepitomeofwhy
comraderyisimportantandwhyteamsportsarethebestifeveryoneisplayingtowards
acommongoal.
3. Giveexamplesofthemeaningbytyingittoconcretesituationsintherealworld:
Althoughthisisarealworldscenariosomethingthatyoucouldcomparethistowouldbe
theideathatyoucanneverunderestimatethepoweroftheunderdog.
4. Generatemetaphors,analogies,pictures,ordiagramsofthebasicthesistoconnectitto
othermeaningsyoualreadyunderstand.
Thepicturethatcomestomindwhenreadingthisarticlewasthecartoonmightymouse.
Teamsmaybesmallandseemnotpowerfulbutifyouunderestimatethemtheycanbeatyou.

Step#3:AnalyzingtheLogicofWhatweareReading
1. Themainpurposeofthisarticleistoshowhowinbaseballtheresreallynosuchthngas
anunderdog,itbasicallyisacoinfliptoseewhowins.
2. Thekeyquestionthattheauthorisaddressingiswhydoteamspaysomuchforplayers
whentheycouldgoodplayersinsteadofsuperstars.
3. Themostimportantinformationinthisarticleisprobablythestatisticsaboutpayrollat
thebeginningbecauseitgivesagoodhookonwhatthearticlewilltalkabout
4. Themaininferences/conclusionsinthisarticlearethatyoumaybetoldthatyourteamis
notgooodenoughonpaperbutyouhavetoplaythegametoseewhotherealwinneris.
5. Thekeyidea(s)weneedtounderstandinthisarticleisthatnomatterwhoyouareor
whereyoucamefromyoucanbesuccessfulifyouworktowardsateamgoal.Bythese

ideastheauthormeansthatpeoplewilltellyouthatyouarentgoodenoughbutifyou
workhardatsomethingyoucanbeverysuccessful.
6. Themainassumptionunderlyingtheauthorsthinkingisthatarethebestteambuying
winsbybuyingthebestplayers.
7. Ifa)wetakethislineofreasoningseriously,theimplicationsarethatwecanworkhard
andworkasateamtobecomesuccessfulasyoucanbe.Ifwefailtotakethislineof
reasoningseriously,theimplicationsarethatwewillremainasaselforientedsociety.
8. Themainpointofviewpresentedinthisarticleisnomatterwhatyourworthatthe
beginningitonlymatterswhereyouendup,itcanbeverysuccessfulorvery
unsuccessful.