The Geopolitics of Baseball: Why Spring Training Matters More Than You Think
A recent article detailing how to watch a Spring Training game between the Braves and Orioles appears, on the surface, to be a standard piece of sports journalism. It offers technical guidance for consumption. However, the consistent framing of American sporting events as purely domestic spectacles ignores a persistent historical pattern. This pattern sees cultural exports, whether intentional or
not, play a role in reinforcing a particular global narrative. Consider, for a moment, how prominently American cultural touchstones are broadcast globally, often through networks and platforms that are themselves extensions of American media power. In 2022, Major League Baseball reported over 150 million international viewers for its regular season games. This reach is not accidental. It forms
part of a broader soft power projection, a subtle yet pervasive influence that complements more overt forms of state action. This cultural projection mirrors strategies employed since at least the early 20th century. For example, during the Cold War, the US State Department actively sponsored jazz musicians and cultural envoys to tour countries in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe, presenting an
image of American freedom and creativity. This initiative, often called the 'Jazz Ambassadors' program, beginning formally in 1956, aimed to counter Soviet propaganda and win hearts and minds. While a baseball game is not a state-sponsored tour, the sheer ubiquity of American sports media contributes to a similar if unconscious, cultural saturation. The global accessibility of a Braves vs. Orioles