I see great things in baseball. It's our game, the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism
Paraphrase attributed to WhitmanWalt Whitman1819–1892 · American poet and journalist
Wikiquote treats the circulating baseball passage as disputed. It points to Brian Cronin’s account of a possible loose paraphrase of remarks recorded by Horace Traubel, rather than confirming the commonly asserted Brooklyn Daily Eagle source.
“I see great things in baseball. It's our game, the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism” — A circulating paraphrase attributed to Walt Whitman; not established as his exact sentence.
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Evoking the world of Walt Whitman — American poet and journalist. Theme: "I see great things in baseball. It's our game, the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
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Provenance
The source
Evidence
Not a verified verbatim Whitman sentence
Verdict
Disputed
I see great things in baseball. It's our game, the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism
Short identifying wording under investigation; not a claim that a primary original was inspected.
Wikiquote treats the circulating baseball passage as disputed. It points to Brian Cronin’s account of a possible loose paraphrase of remarks recorded by Horace Traubel, rather than confirming the commonly asserted Brooklyn Daily Eagle source. Wikiquote: baseball wording and source gap ↗
The biography supplies background, not proof of this exact wording. About Walt Whitman ↗
The exact originating work or wording is unresolved. No public-domain clearance is asserted.
Rights status is our research, not legal advice — and copyright varies by country and edition. For commercial or published use, confirm with the rightsholder. See terms.
Fact-check
Often misattributed
The familiar credit needs this qualification.
✕
Incorrectly attributed to Walt Whitman Unconfirmed
Wikiquote treats the circulating baseball passage as disputed. It points to Brian Cronin’s account of a possible loose paraphrase of remarks recorded by Horace Traubel, rather than confirming the commonly asserted Brooklyn Daily Eagle source. Wikiquote: baseball wording and source gap ↗
✓Wikiquote treats the circulating baseball passage as disputed. It points to Brian Cronin’s account of a possible loose paraphrase of remarks recorded by Horace Traubel, rather than confirming the commonly asserted Brooklyn Daily Eagle source. Wikiquote: baseball wording and source gap ↗
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More provenance-checked quotes on the same theme, each with its reuse status.
Walt Whitman was an American poet and journalist. His literary reputation does not authenticate every sentence circulated under his name.
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Cite this
The evidence consulted
Wikiquote: baseball wording and source gap. Consulted 9 November 2026. https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Walt_Whitman
This verification page
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘I see great things in baseball. It's our game, the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/i-see-great-things-in-baseball-its-our-game-the-american/