Independence Day

Independence Day refers to July 4th, the day set aside to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, which is a public holiday across the United States. It has long been an occasion for celebrations, with parades, concerts and banquets and barbecues organized to mark the occasion.

As the day comes in the middle of the baseball season, there is a long tradition of the two going hand-in-hand. Doubleheaders used to be a frequent occurrence on July 4th, with the ballpark being specially decorated for the occasion, often with red, white and blue bunting. There is often special pageantry associated with the playing of the National Anthem that day, and in the case of a night game, it is often followed by a fireworks display.

On the baseball calendar, July 4th is close to the mid-season mark. There is an old saying that a team that is in first place on Independence Day is a legitimate pennant contender (before that, it can be dismissed as a freak occurrence). This was especially the case in the first decades of professional baseball; in modern time, it is the All-Star Game, which normally takes place a couple of weeks later, that is used to informally mark the half-way point of the season.