Direct Action In Baseball: Analytical Essay

Michael Lipsky had a model of protest which was symbolic and done by relatively powerless groups in society which is mainly minorities with low incomes. In baseball in the 20th century players had protests to resolve labor relations in the sport. These ideas did not mix because players in the early history of baseball had a different kind of action taken which was direct confrontation. Protests are meant to be non-confrontational and players of the 20th century believed that confrontation was needed as a leverage. Lipsky’s idea about labor relations including media, third parties, and target groups mainly does not explain the history of baseball in the 20th century.

Protest is a political action taken towards change on hostility of conditions in economic systems in society (Lipsky, p. 1145). Leader is a person that pushes a movement for change in certain circumstances by using their voice to go against the system to look after an organizations needs as a top priority (Lipsky, p. 1148). Media is a really powerful platform that influences the news viewed by people and how they respond to issues (Lipsky, p. 1151). Third parties is targeted towards both reference groups and interest groups but have a minor role in impact of the relations at hand (Lipsky, p. 1153). Target groups is the groups that are being accused of the hostility of conditions in economic systems and protest to benefit their reference publics (Lipsky, p. 1155). Organizational base is the plan that is followed in protests to achieve the goals that are put into place (Lipsky, p. 1149).

Lipsky’s model of media does not explain how in baseball coverage supported baseball players in the 20th century. According to Lipsky “if protest tactics are not considered significant by the media, or if newspaper and television reporters or editors decide to overlook protest tactics, protest organizations will not succeed” (p. 1151). Lipsky is stating here that media is a huge part of protests because they distribute information to the public showing the intentions of the protests making people aware of injustices going on. In Lipsky’s model media is key in protest symbolic messages being spread out into a large viewing public is essential for change to occur. This argument that Lipsky is making does not apply well to baseball players of the 20th century because the media is against the players and took the side of the owners stating bad statements about them since they should be playing the sport instead of revolting (Rader, 2002, p. 209). This shows that the media did not agree with the protest that the players were doing against the sport and were displaying wrong messages to the public about the cause they were trying to achieve in receiving better pension funds in pay. The media did not fully display the protests in which they were supposed to be viewed because the public did not see that the owners were the ones to actually blame for the players not showing up to games the full story was not shown.

Lipsky’s model of third parties does not explain how in baseball in the 20th century protests were supported. According to Lipsky “ I have argued that the essence of political protest consists of activating third parties to participate in controversy in ways favorable to protests goals” (p. 1153). Lipsky is stating here that third parties including the public is supportive of protests and are crucial in spreading messages and awareness in protests around the world to bring about change. This argument that Lipsky is making does not apply well to baseball players of the 20th century because the third parties which are the fans are against the players not supporting their cause and supported the owners (Rader, 2002, p. 214). This shows that fans were receiving negative messages in the media on how players were refusing to play so as paying customers they had become outraged and disgusted with the players. Fans not being on the players sides was not favorable to protest goals because with the support of the fans the movement would have had a larger impact on the owners.

Lipsky’s model of target groups does not explain how in baseball in the 20th century conceiving occurs in protests. According to Lipsky “ target groups may dispense symbolic satisfactions” (p. 1155). Lipsky is stating here that target groups do activities that symbolically lift up agencies to show the public that there is consideration to problems in the world at hand. Target groups do this to not set any alarms off among the public to keep everything in society intact and to conceive to protests. This argument that Lipsky is making does not apply well to baseball players of the 20th century because the target groups which are the owners did not give in to ways of conceiving to satisfy the fans at baseball games right away (Rader, 2002, p. 210). This shows that owners did not care of the threats that players made during boycotts and strikes that they were not throwing away the amount of profit that they were making in the business of baseball. Owners did not give in to any demands the players made and fought the players extremely hard to the point where they were taken to the supreme court.

Lipsky’s model of occupational base does explain how in baseball in the 20th century labor relations were organized and successful. According to Lipsky “protest leaders may have to tailor their style to present participants with tangible success, or with the appearance of success” (p. 1149). Lipsky is stating here that leaders may have to change their usual style of leading to benefit the occupational base which are the protestors. Leaders have to be passionate and caring in movements this model is stating for there to be success. This argument that Lipsky is making does apply well to baseball in the 20th century because there was a great leader that lead an occupational base of players knew what he was doing with no experience working in baseball (Rader, 2002, p. 212). This shows that Marvin Miller had to change his usual ways and bargain with owners to make a change among players by making them free agents and getting rid of the reserve clause in 1976. Marvin Miller was a very passionate and knowledgeable leader because he knew labor law which benefited his ability to lead players into equally receiving better pension funds and to earn more equal beneficial contracts.

In conclusion, Lipsky’s ideas about labor relations including media, third parties, and target groups mainly does not explain the history of baseball in the 20th century. There was one idea that correlated well to labor relations in baseball though which was leadership and organizational base. Lipsky believed that leadership required you to be caring of the movement and caring to where responses can be provoked out of protestors and the organizational base were the protestors. In baseball Marvin Miller knew what he was doing and was successful in organizing players without any experience working in the sport and provoked responses out of baseball players which are the organizational base. Lipsky’s ideas about protest does not explain how baseball players acted in the 20th century. Protests are not hostile and are peaceful since they are done with symbolic actions. Baseball players of the 20th century used direct confrontation by boycotting and doing strikes to try and gain better wages that they felt they deserved. Players were fighting for more equal pension funds since owners were resisting linking their salaries to television profits. Players strike ended up being the most successful direct confrontation bringing in 500,000 dollars in pension funds to the players. Media did not play out the way that Lipsky expected in baseball because in his model media is supposed to be supportive of protests not against them for a protest to be successful. Third parties did not play out the way that Lipsky expected in baseball because the public in his model supported protestors for a cause to be successful and in baseball the fans rejected the players siding with the owners. Target groups did not play out the way that Lipsky expected because owners did not give in to ways of conceiving to satisfy the fans at baseball games right away.