On Wednesday (March 28) the Oakland Athletics and Seattle
Mariners will begin the 2012 season with two games in Japan. While the real
Opening Day in the states doesn’t begin until April 4, this signifies the
beginning of a new journey through a Major League Baseball season. And though
the times have changed and people’s ‘perception’ of this glorious game has
declined, there is no doubting the significance of a new season.
But these are reason why I love this game. For most people these
same reasons might not register because my entire life has been enthralled with
the greatness of this game.
Some of my reasons
for loving baseball
I love baseball because for seven months out of this year I
have something to do almost every day of the week. Most people complain that
the season is too long and they lose interest towards the end of summer when
the season is 100 games in, but I’m content watching my team go out
night-after-night. It gives you a sense of hope every day that this could be a
good day. And for most of us your entire mood revolves around whether or not
your team wins or loses.
For the next seven months the players on my team (and on my
fantasy team) will be my best friends. I’ll read their quotes, get insight on their
character and even though they don’t know it, they’ll be my new companion (or
at least for as long as they’re on my team). But as baseball fans we go through
the journey with these players. We get a glimpse of the grind they go through
in a 162 game schedule. It’s more than just reading the box scores every
morning, it’s about having perspective on what’s going on in the locker room
and what the next move might be for the team. Being a fan instantly makes you a
part of the franchise. It’s a roller-coaster ride of emotions. You get to feel
the great times and the bad times as if you were actually involved in the
outcome yourself.
I love baseball because there is no greater thrill in the
world than being at a baseball game. It doesn’t matter if it’s a little league,
high school, college or professional game, they all have the same appeal that
draws us to the stadium. Whether it’s the food (nachos, hot dogs, peanuts,
pretzels, another hot dog), the smell of the grass, the dust flying off the infield,
the crowds that share the same passion as you or the time spent with friends
and family. These are just reasons outside of the actual game that make me love
the sport.
I love baseball because of its history. For years this game
was built on its history and called the “National Pastime.” Many people have
tried to take that label away from them and say football is the new national
pastime, but how can a sport that’s only been around for half as long be the
national pastime? That’s a story for another day. The fact is this country was
built on the sport of baseball. There is no denying that baseball was the first
actual sport to gain popularity in the U.S. and it still remains a vital part
of this country.
Men once got together on old dusty fields for pickup games.
War heroes played it amongst other soldiers to pass the time and get their mind
off the terrible tragedy surrounding them. Hopes, dreams, ambitions were all inspired
because of this wonderful sport. It is the backbone of this country and will
continue to be so as long as it exists.
Racism was solved through baseball. Martin Luther King Jr.
was a great man who did many great things for African Americans, but Jackie
Robinson did the unthinkable when he signed up to play Major League Baseball.
He brought the country together through his talent on the field during unthinkable
circumstances. His play ultimately led to the end of racism (in my opinion) and
changed the history of this country. All of this was done through the sport of
baseball.
I love baseball because it is the greatest sport ever
invented. You can try to argue the point if you wish, but there is no
comparison out there in terms of skill and strategy. Plus if you add all the
things above that come along with the game. Baseball is great because an
average person like Pete Rose can come along with virtually no skills, but
through hard work and determination prove that anything is possible. It’s a
game that virtually anyone can play, but only 1 percent of those that do play can
do so at a major league level.
The skill and God-given ability it takes to throw a 96 MPH
fastball (with command) just doesn’t happen very often. Then to be able to
throw a ball that breaks three quarters of the way to home plate and changes
direction is almost unfair. But to be able to swing a wooden bat and connect
with one of those pitches and hit it 400-plus feet is the most incredible
accomplishment you’ll see in any sport.
Then there is the defensive side of the game, which is my
favorite, that normally is the difference between a normal Joe off the street and
a major league player. To be able to field these rocket shots coming off a bat
and then in an instant throw the ball to first before the runner gets there is
the most underrated talent in sports. These athletes today make it look so easy
that it doesn’t get appreciated enough. Go back and watch highlight films of
Ozzie Smith and Omar Vizquel (those are just from my generation) and see for
yourself how easy it is to dive to your right, get up and heave a baseball
across the diamond in time to get the out. A cleanly turned double-play is the
most beautiful thing to watch in this sport. When a runner is on first and the
ball is hit on the ground I drop whatever I’m doing so I don’t miss the art
form a well turned double-play.
There are many reasons I love this game and just a few are
mentioned above. I try to explain my passion for this game to others in today’s
generation and it just seems useless. Baseball is something that’s been ingrained
in me since the time I was born and that’s really where it starts. This isn’t a
sport you can just pick up like football or basketball, it takes time to
develop a feel and sense of pride for the sport. But once you’ve been engulfed
by the spirit of the game developed through the years of history, you’ll experience
a feeling unlike any other. When the temperature rises and the wind softly
blows on a warm sunny day, you’ll feel the goose bumps run up your arm because
you know it’s that time of the year and the time for the Boys of Summer is near.
You can follow Jake on
Twitter at: @j8a1k0e or on his MLB Braves blog at: http://bravesandmore.mlblogs.com
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