Taking a break from discussing research and academic pursuits,  Dr. John Noakes, Associate Provost for Faculty Advancement and Student Learning, gathered baseball fans Betsey Batchelor, Associate Professor of Fine Art, Dr. Jeff Shultz, Professor of Education, and Mark Lapreziosa, Vice President of Enrollment Management, for a conversation about America’s favorite pastime—baseball.

The Philadelphia Phillies preseason is in full swing, with a little more than a week until opening day at Citizens Bank Park. Clad in Phillies red and pinstripes, the panelists discussed their love of the game, their thoughts on the Phillies’ new and returning players, the passion of Charlie Manuel as a leader, and the parallels that can be drawn between baseball and everyday life.

Art and Baseball

“I love the way that it is really parallel to what it is to be an artist. There is this enormous mental component to baseball. There’s so much that goes on there—the ups and downs and the struggles—and I kind of link that to what it’s like to be in the studio.” – Batchelor

Master Strategist

“In some ways, he’s (Charlie Manuel, manager of the Philadelphia Phillies) a real baseball genius. I mean, he really eats, sleeps [baseball]—it’s just his life. And he can be a very good strategist.” – Shultz

Season Outlook

“I think it’s going to be a challenging season. If you just look at the National league, there are probably seven or eight teams that you’d immediately say are better than the Phillies for one reason or another, in particular, Washington.” – Lapreziosa