Baseball just a came as simple as a ball and bat. Yet, as complex as the American spirit it symbolizes. A sport, a business and sometimes almost even a religion.

The spirit of graft and of lawlessness is the American spirit.

I think that in a piece like this the American spirit is strong, and it appeals to that. But it?s not a battle cry, and we don?t send anyone off to a foreign country.

I just love the American spirit of racing. It feels just great to get involved with that.

The season is a celebration of the American spirit. When you are planning a season, there is always a certain atmosphere surrounding you. We were aware of this fervent patriotism, and we wanted to address that. But there are different approaches to patriotic music other than the Sousa marches. For instance, our first program will be 'New York, New York,' celebrating the spirit of that wonderful city.

Baseball is the president tossing out the first ball of the season. And a scrubby schoolboy playing catch with his dad on a Mississippi farm.