
The ancient wisdom of baseball
is a love letter to baseball that explains its connections
to our inner lives and to classical lore
in a way that makes one pine for Opening Day.”
–Theo Epstein
Christian Sheppard
Christian Sheppard, PhD, is a professor of liberal arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and former teacher of the “Great Books” at the University of Chicago. He is co-editor of Mystics: Presence and Aporia (University of Chicago Press); has published essays on sports, art, literature, and religion; and lectured at the Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and the Baseball Hall of Fame. A lifelong baseball fan, he lives within walking distance of Wrigley Field.


Author photo by Beowulf Sheehan.
“For those who love baseball, the game holds deep personal meaning and echoes to the past that are undeniable but often hard to articulate.
Christian Sheppard’s The Ancient Wisdom of Baseballis a love letter to baseball that explains its connections to our inner lives and to classical lore in a way that makes one pine for Opening Day.”
—Theo Epstein, three-time World Series Champion baseball executive who broke the curses of the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs
The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball
“Myth”
When I say that baseball is a myth, I mean that each ball game enacts a story that reverberates in the psyche. It is a pleasing story that also offers a life lesson. A story about a hero coming home, baseball reveals the aim of life. Baseball is the myth America tells itself about excellence and success, or as the ancients say, virtue and victory—about happiness.


Virtue
Virtue ought to be associated with virtuosity—the ability to do things well: shoot an arrow, run up a sandy beach fully armored into the bronze teeth of an enemy phalanx, negotiate peace, deliver a speech, flatter a princess, solve a riddle, throw a discus or a baseball. The Greek word for virtue, arête, can be traced back to Ares, the god of war. War for the Greeks was the crucible of competition, a game with lethal stakes where character was forged and virtue displayed.
“Don’t Be Afraid of the Ball!”

Lessons for Life from Homer's ODYSSEY to the World Series
Who are you, how are you supposed to live, and what about happiness? Answers to age-old questions are offered in classic myths about heroes, gods, and monsters, and at the ballgame.
In The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball, author Christian Sheppard interweaves Homer’s epics with glorious stories from the green fields of America’s pastime, celebrating Achilles’ courage and Odysseus’ cunning along with the virtues of Hall of Fame players such as Jackie Robinson and Babe Ruth and of great teams such as the 2004 Red Sox and the 2016 Cubs. Along the way, Sheppard humorously recollects trying to raise his baby daughter true to the teachings of ancient myth and his beloved game. The result is an endearing, insightful, and inspiring guide to cultivating virtue and becoming the hero of your own life’s odyssey.

Available Anywhere Books Are Sold on March 25, 2025
Events
“Many cities did he visit, and many were the people with whose customs and thinking he was acquainted”—Homer, The Odyssey
Baseball fandom is local. Fans follow the league at large mostly as it relates to their own home team. Affection begins at the home ballpark (in my case, the “Friendly Confines” of Wrigley Field) then emanates outward to away games and only after to other teams. This season I will follow the whole of MLB as different teams visit the Northside of Chicago and as the Cubs go on the road. Here’s my “away” schedule: Pheonix, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Bristol (TN), Nashville, Louisville, St. Louis, Kansas City, Wahington D.C., Pittsburgh, and maybe more. Promoting The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball both home and away, I will post what I learn on X and Instagram and on my blog. Please follow along!
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