The purpose of this study was to clarify the “nature of being” （Seinscharakter）and the function of sports “meaning” such as a “strike” or a “ball” in baseball. To accomplish this goal, the semantics of Japanese philosopher Wataru Hiromatsu and the symbolism of German philosopher Ernst Cassirer were employed for analysis. The results are as follows.
We are not aware of what is in front of us （the given matter）“as such” （als solches）, but as “something more” （etwas mehr）or “something else” （etwas Anderes）. These “something more/ something else” is “meaning,” and have an ideal （immutable, universal, functional）character. In sports, too, there exist sports “meaning”. In baseball, for example, we recognize a ball thrown by a pitcher as a “strike” or a “ball,” which is “something more/something else.” These sports meaning also have an ideal （immutable, universal, functional）character.
Since we perceive the sensory trajectory of the ball under sports “meaning” （e.g., “fair” or “foul”）in baseball, we can confirm in sport the situation of the “Symbolic Pregnance” （Symbolische Prägnanz）in perception. By the conception of this Symbolic Pregnance, athletes perceive the ball in play as sports “meaning”, at the same time they play accordingly. In this way, the sports “meaning” functions as a form that defines the playerʼs perception and performance.
