In my life, all I can remember growing up was the love that has grown in me towards the sport of baseball. My dad started my older brother and I in baseball when we were both very young. Why baseball you may ask? Well I guess that's just what he thought would be best and that's right- it was. My Grandpa (dads dad) played baseball throughout his life and that is what got him into college at the University of Delaware. I think baseball reflects the identity of being an American as it teaches resilience and perseverance- overcoming challenges and persevering through difficult times. Baseball is even often referred to as "America's pastime.” Opportunities to play sports through difficult times may have been rare, but The Delaware River Shipbuilding League, in 1918 proved that to be wrong for many Americans including my Great-Grandfather. The League had a number of MLB players playing in it so they could work on building wartime ships and play ball instead of going in the draft. Centered in Philadelphia, the league represented eight shipyards operating along the river in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. My Great Grandfather played and worked for Chester Ship in Chester, Pennsylvania. Another player in the league was Shoeless Joe Jackson, If you know baseball you know of him. Joe took a painting job with Bethleham, PA Steel, to play in this league, leaving his hometown of Greenville, SC. Greenville has a tie to Deiblers/Baseball as my dad played all of his youth baseball while also growing up there.

– GD

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more