The American Past Time

This is an article I wrote on the sport of baseball in hopes that readers will open their minds to how great this sport is.

When I was a child, I viewed baseball as a boring sport. I had only played in a couple little leagues, and all I can remember is standing in the outfield, and how I could not wait until it was over to go sit down. It was a sport where I only got to hit the ball a few times a game, and the greatest thing about it was chewing the bubble gum to fit in. It was only ever on the TV in my house when there was nothing else to watch. I guess you could say that I did not grow up in a baseball loving family, and because of that I never got to learn the game. To understand it. To love it.

It wasn’t until I was older in my mid-twenties that I feel like I truly gave the sport a chance. I almost felt forced to watch it- there was nothing else on daytime TV so it seemed like my only option one afternoon. Watching a diving catch on a fast infield grounder to get the runner thrown out at first caused something inside of me that sparked my love for baseball. I wish it were that easy to get most people to enjoy the game as I have the past few years. More than just the sport, look at the atmosphere; warm, sunny, summer evenings at the ball park. Everyone is wearing their ball caps and bringing their families along. There are cracker jacks, cotton candy, ice cream and hot dogs. At the beginning of every game someone with (hopefully) a beautiful voice stands out near the pitcher’s mound and sings our beautiful Star Spangled Banner. Nothing seems more hypnotizing when hearing the loud ‘CRACK’ of the ball coming off the bat and watching it soar over the center field wall. The cheering crowd yells, screams, and chants for the player as he trots around the bases. 

It is the only sport where the defense has the ball. The only sport where there is no time limit; the game will go on as long as it has to until there is a winner. The only sport that if you catch a ball that went out of play, you get to keep as a souvenir. It lasts from spring training in March until the end of the post season late October. One hit can send one or more base runners to home plate with one swing to immediately end the game for the home team. The manager has to utilize his men wisely, holding off the use of certain relief pitchers just in case the game goes a few more innings

Beyond the face of baseball, the atmosphere that most Americans know about, is an in-depth mental game between the pitcher and batter. The game of keeping the batter guessing what pitch is coming next:                                                                           

‘Is it his fastball? That’s what I struck out on last time. Or is it his slider because he knows I always chase the ball when I’m down in the count? No, it’s gotta be that change-up he’s recently developed that’s made his strike-out rate skyrocket lately.’

When you grasp the mental aspect of the game, every pitch becomes nail biting. With runners on base, a player can steal extra bases, increasing his teams’ chance of scoring a run. That base runner can play that mental game with the pitcher, who needs to put every ounce of concentration into the batter he is currently facing as to not give up another hit. The catcher needs to know multiple signs he can give the pitcher as to what he believes will be the best pitch that will deliver a strike. He does this by reading the batter’s body movement, studying his swing, and using the batter’s own mood against him. The outfielders need to have speed, agility, and healthy lungs, along with a quick mind to read the fly ball as soon as the batter finishes his swing. He needs to get a jump on the ball that is leaving the bat 100+ mph so that he can barely catch it before it hits the ground for a base hit, or rob the batter of a home run by snatching the ball just as it is passing the outfield wall. The manager and his staff have to study their players’ stats daily, along with the upcoming probable pitcher of the opposing team. Utilizing this information and looking at hours of previous video footage, they need to carefully set the batting order to be the most successful in producing runs. 

The sport of baseball is highly competitive, with only a small percentage of players making it all the way to the majors, and only a small percentage of that being successful at that level. Whether you hate the sport, don’t care for the sport, or simply only hit a game once a year for the atmosphere- try having a more open mind and look at the game with more depth. After reading this article I can only hope that you give the greatest sport in the world a second chance. I hope that you can watch it with patience and excitement after realizing that it is more than just men chewing tobacco and hitting balls with sticks. I hope that you can realize that it is America’s favorite past time for a reason.

Author's Note

What do you think of this article? I hope everyone enjoys it. This is my first article I have ever written.