Abramowitz

Joseph Abramowitz
Professor Murray
Composition II
December 8, 2014
Data Analysis of Olympia Titan Baseball Program
The reason I have chosen Olympia High School Baseball Program as a discourse
community is that I am one of the coaches, so I am considered an expert within the community
as well as an authoritative figure. The purposes of this document are to examine and analyze the
sources gathered, and make connections between them and their meanings. There are a few
general questions that will help guide the analysis in order to achieve the overall purpose. The
first being: What work do texts do in the discourse community? And the other being: How do
texts relate to and draw on other texts, either within or outside the community?
For the purpose of this document, John Swales definition of genre, which states, genres
are how things get done, when language is used to accomplish them will be used (Swales 221).
Genres are vital to my discourse community, because without the different genres, there would
just be a bunch of players on a field looking at each other. As a general response to the first
question, evaluation sheets, the lineup card, and text messaging are a few examples of the
different genres in the discourse community. There are also a variety of sources used to
demonstrate and explain these genres, along with some lexis that goes hand-in-hand with the
genres.
Coaching:

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One of the main sources used is a personal ethnography. The ethnography that I did
answers both questions posed in the introduction. Each of these forms of communication has
different functions, making them genres. Text messaging is used to communicate to my players
where and what time they are expected to show up. The lineup card is used to communicate, but
it explains who plays what positions and at what innings. The evaluations are used to
communicate with individual players on what their strengths and weaknesses are, and
suggestions to make improvements. My ethnography is also related to and influenced by one of
the other sources used. In Coaching Baseball Successfully by Andy Lopez and John Kirkgard,
they discuss different coaching philosophies and factors that influence individual coaching
styles, for example, previous experience as a player, and coaching mentors. These two factors
have definitely influenced how I coach and what genres I use in the discourse community. I was
fortunate enough to play college baseball so I take my experiences from that to use in the
evaluations I give my high school players so they can be more prepared for the next level. Also,
as most people do, I have a mentor. My mentor advises me and makes observations to me from
an outside perspective, which helps me evaluate my lineup and reevaluate it if there is an issue.
Baseball Jargon:
James Charltons How to Speak Baseball: An Illustrated Guide to Ballpark Banter is
beneficial to research because it helps give a guide to the lexis of the discourse community.
Lexis is a major part of this discourse community, and it affects how genres are used within the
community. Some examples of lexis that Charlton uses are rubber arm and designated hitter.
Knowing these terms helps determine how the lineup card is written. The term rubber arm refers

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to someone who can throw a lot of pitches multiple games in a row and getting less fatigued than
others. These rubber arm players are not very common, but when a coach has one, it
significantly impacts how the player is used; which is communicated through the lineup card.
Similarly, the designated hitter has an impact on the lineup. A designated hitter is a player who
hits for the pitcher, but does not play a position in the field. Because of this, the coach is able to
put a player who is a good hitter but not a good fielder as the designated hitter.
Verbal and non-verbal communications in this discourse community are also considered
lexis because each sign has a different meaning that affect the lineup card. Wayne Patterson does
a thorough job in "The Cryptology Of Baseball." to discuss verbal and non-verbal
communication, signs, and how much of an impact they can have on a game. In a game situation,
the coach is giving verbal signs and hand signs to his or her players on the field. Common sense
would suggest that if a player knows all the different signs, there is a good chance the player will
execute the given sign and vice versa. As a coach, if there is a player or players who do not
understand and execute the signs given to them, that player or those players will not find
themselves in the starting lineup until they prove they know the signs.
Evaluations:
Providing players with evaluations is a major genre within the discourse community.
Without them, not only would the player not progress, but also, the entire program would not
progress. In Chapter 1 of Bernie Walter Jr.s The Baseball Handbook, fundamentals are the main
topic of focus. Every coach knows that fundamentals are what turn raw talent into consistent
successful performances on the baseball field. There is an old baseball saying which states, hard

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work beats talent, when talent doesnt work hard. In this case, fundamentals are the hard work.
Fundamentals should be taught to a player when his or her career begins, but from time to time,
players get away from the basic fundamentals and their performance levels drop. This is why I
use the evaluation sheets; to not only show areas of weakness, but to also encourage success by
using fundamental drills. Bernie provides a plethora of different tips and drills to use for
different reasons and situations, so its the coaches job to correctly encourage the player to
practice the right fundamental. This concept goes back to relate with Coaching Baseball
Successfully, which as mentioned earlier discusses different coaching philosophies and the
factors that influence them. Lopez states, The role of parents, childhood, previous experience as
a player, and coaching mentors are all factors that influence coaching styles. (Lopez). To give a
specific example, if I personally as the coach had a player that was having issues fielding the
ball, I would recommend fielding techniques and fundamentals that helped me when I was a
player. Lopez and Kirkgard would consider that a factor that influences coaching philosophies.
Text messaging:
Text messaging in this discourse community is sometimes a unique genre. Primarily, it is
used to inform players when are where to show up, but the members of this community use it for
much more. Susan Drucker and Gary Gumpert discuss storytelling and the role it has in baseball
in their book, "Take Me out to the Ballgame: Communicating Baseball. In baseball, storytelling
is what keeps the game alive, passed on from generation to generation of accounts of the greatest
players to ever play. Storytelling is an encouraged genre in the community because it motivates
the players to work harder and as a team. Players are encouraged to find motivational quotes and
stories pertaining to baseball or sports in general, and distribute them to the rest of the team via

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text messaging. Hall of Famer Yogi Berra once said, The game [baseball] is 90% mental, and
the other half is physical. While comical, it is true that baseball is a lot more than pitch and
catch as some critics would suggest. As long as the text messages of quotes and stories continue
to motivate and mentally prepare players, it will be a genre used in this community.
Conclusion:
In summary, a genre as defined by John Swales, is how things get done. The discourse
community of Olympia Titan Baseball Program uses multiple genres to accomplish goals and
communication. These genres include lineup cards, text messaging, player evaluations, and
storytelling. Each of these genres has a different function, but with the same end result in mind:
communicate successfully in order to win. All of the genres used in this community relate to and
are influenced by outside sources both primary and secondary. The key is finding the right mix
of sources that will help as a coach to effectively communicate with every member of the
community in order to achieve victory. Based on the data collected and analyzed, the discourse
community functions properly because the genres used, satisfy a need or problem within the
community. (Miller). Miller is beneficial, because she goes into great depth about genres and
how they affect discourse communities.

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Works Cited
Abramowitz, Joseph. Ethnography. 18 Sept 2014.
Charlton, James. How to Speak Baseball: An Illustrated Guide to Ballpark Banter. San
Francisco: Chronicle, 2014. Print.
"Custom Lineup Cards." Kidz N Sports. Word Press. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
Drucker, Susan J., and Gary Gumpert. "Take Me out to the Ballgame: Communicating
Baseball." CompPile. 2002. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
Lopez, Andy, and John Kirkgard. Coaching Baseball Successfully. Champaign, Ill: Human
Kinetics, Chapter 1. 1996. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
Miller, Glenn A., Rafer Lutz, and Karen Fredenburg. "Outstanding High School Coaches:
Philosophies, Views, And Practices." JOPERD: The Journal Of Physical Education,
Recreation & Dance 83.2 (2012): 24-29. SPORTDiscus. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
Patterson, Wayne. "The Cryptology Of Baseball." Cryptologia 35.2 (2011): 156-163. Academic
Search Premier. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
Swales, John. The Concept of Discourse Community. Writing About Writing. Vol. 2nd.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2014. 215-229. Print.
Walter Jr., Bernard P. "Chapter 1: Fundamentals." Baseball Handbook. 11-19. n.p.: 2002.
SPORTDiscus. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.