When a person understands the history of baseball, much of what Wilson has to say makes more sense, because the jargon of the book can be problematic for others who have no concept of the game. This does not mean that the book cannot be enjoyable to people who have no real concept of baseball, but most people in America today at least know the basics about the game of baseball and how much significance it has had throughout history. Having a basic knowledge of baseball is good before reading Wilson's work. Having a strong knowledge of baseball is even better, because it makes it much more likely that a reader will get all of the references that are made and have a much better idea of the deeper meanings that Wilson is imparting in his work.

From the very beginning of Wilson's work, the audience is dropped right into his world. Because he does not stop to explain the jargon and the dialect and the references but rather simply uses them in the story, people are left to draw their own conclusions about what these terms and turns of phrase mean. Most of them can be figured out - but they are easier to discover if a person has knowledge of baseball, and that is where the idea of understanding it comes in. The history of baseball and how it evolved from something that mattered little to something that has become very significant in society is much like the way that society itself has evolved. Much of what mattered to people in the far-distant past is not something that still matters today. Conversely, much of what was not seen as important 'back then' may be seen as having...

The unfortunate thing is that, when a person does not have a good understanding of baseball, that particular part of the link is lost. However, the work is still one of Wilson's best, and with that being the case a person reading it can really get a feel for the characters and experience the emotions that they are dealing with. Parents and children do not always get along, siblings do not always get along, and there can be many differences and changes throughout families. Sometimes these result in so much conflict that families fall out based on these misunderstandings and miscommunications. Sometimes they are so traumatic that there is nothing left for these people and they end up regretting their decision to be estranged once a family member leaves this earth. No matter what, however, these are the kinds of things that belong to real life, and it is important for works like Wilson's to come to the forefront of society and be examined for the worth that they offer to everyone.
References

Block, David (2006). Baseball Before We Knew it: A look at something I don't remember. Bison Books. 0803262558.

Sullivan, Dean (1997). Early Innings: A Documentary History of Baseball, 1825-1908. U of Nebraska Press.

Ward, Geoffrey C. (1994). Baseball an Illustrated History. New York: Alfred a. Knopf.

Wilson, August (1986). Fences. New York: Plume