What author does Annie read to Ebby in the movie "Bull Durham"?

In “Bull Durham,” Annie reads Walt Whitman to Ebby LaLoosh. The scene takes place after Annie Savoy chooses the talented but undisciplined pitcher, nicknamed “Nuke,” as her baseball project. Rather than treating romance and baseball as separate worlds, Annie blends the two, using poetry as part of her unusual lesson in confidence, sensuality, and performance.

The Whitman passage comes from “I Sing the Body Electric,” a poem published in Whitman’s groundbreaking collection Leaves of Grass. The poem celebrates the human body, physical energy, sexuality, and emotional connection—subjects that fit Annie’s philosophy that a pitcher’s personal life can affect his athletic ability.

A common mix-up is the title of the poem. Some viewers remember Annie reading from Leaves of Grass, which is the collection, while the specific passage is associated with “I Sing the Body Electric.” The film also mentions Emily Dickinson elsewhere, but the reading scene with Ebby is identified with Walt Whitman.