When the author says that "baseball still sported a less-than-spotless reputation," he means that

Baseball has a bad reputation

Explanation:

The author's word choice of the phrase "baseball still sported a less-than-spotless reputation," demonstrates that he is speaking of a time that has occurred in the past, probably the author is making a comparison with the present day where the baiseball boasts a reputation. that the author is not satisfied. It is as if the author said: "Baseball doesn't have a good reputation these days, but at the time baseball still had a less than impeccable reputation, ..."

answer

answer: a: they can affect the author’s perspective and in turn the theme and purpose for the writing.

the author's background and time period greatly affect the text that the author produces. this is because we are all a reflection of our time period and background. depending on where and when we were born, we will find some questions more important than others. for example, if we are a wealthy person born in medieval times, we will most likely be interested in courtly love and stories of knights and honour. however, if we are born in the 20th century in africa, we might instead focus on colonialism and its effects on the newly liberated countries. the theme and the purpose of writing are both affected by these conditions.

explanation:

the water represents a powerful force, and supports the idea that farquhar cannot escape his fate.

explanation: