Who said “Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball, the rules…”?

Verified

Jacques Barzun. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceGod's Country and Mine: A Declaration of Love Spiced with a Few Harsh Words (Boston: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1954), pt. 2, sec. 8

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Authors A–Z
“Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball, the rules and realities of the game.”
— Jacques Barzun
VerifiedGod's Country and Mine: A Declaration of Love Spiced with a Few Harsh Words (Boston: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1954), pt. 2, sec. 8 · evidenceBaseball

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: God's Country and Mine: A Declaration of Love Spiced with a Few Harsh Words (Boston: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1954), pt. 2, sec. 8.

APA

Barzun, J. (n.d.). Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball, the rules and realities of the game. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/2410-whoever-wants-to-know-the-heart-and-mind/

MLA

Barzun, Jacques. “Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball, the rules and realities of the game.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/2410-whoever-wants-to-know-the-heart-and-mind/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Barzun, Jacques. “Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball, the rules and realities of the game.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/2410-whoever-wants-to-know-the-heart-and-mind/.

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More quotes by Jacques Barzun

“Only a great mind that is overthrown yields tragedy.”
Tragedies
“Art distills sensations and embodies it with enhanced meaning.”
Arts and Artists
“In any assembly the simplest way to stop transacting business and split the ranks is to appeal to a principal.”
Principles
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