Baseball is quickly becoming the pariah of the sports world. It is no longer cool to admit that you enjoy baseball, played baseball at any time in your life, or enjoy the occasional baseball game on TV. What we have forgotten is that baseball, as America's pasttime, is an American staple. It is part of the founding of this country (although it came much later). Just like conservatism is at the founding of this country and is now becoming the butt of any pundit's joke. Why does this happen to baseball? What did baseball do that is so offensive to everyone? Why do we pay more attention to sporting imports like soccer and hockey? Why do we worship a game in which its players can't even make it through a 16-game season? Why do we obsess over a sport that thugs and criminals can excel at? Scratch that. Basketball is good, too. Why is Nascar even considered a sport? All we need as Americans are the Big Bad Games. BBG. Get it? Big Bad Games. Remember that. Big Bad Games. BBG. Baseball, Basketball, Golf. Big Bad Games. BBG. BBG.
Let's talk about the merits of baseball (and yes, this is a response to my cousin's thrashing of baseball on his blog and to the constant ribbings of my in-laws, who as we speak are on one of their abundant soccer trips - because you have to fly to all parts of the country to find one other person interested in playing soccer).
1) Baseball, unlike other sports with the exception of golf, rewards talent and skill over athleticism. In what other sport can an aging man throw 70 mph knuckle balls and be an all-star, like Tim Wakefield? The younger, more "talented" pitchers just can't do what he can. They have stronger arms, better health, younger bodies. But, they cannot excel like he can because he has the skill and know-how to dominate batters.
2) Which brings me to this point: baseball is the smartest game. This highly offends football players (and yes, there is strategy in football; just ask John Madden - "you see, you want to get the football in the endzone more times than the other team in order to be successful and win the game, you see"), but your sport can be understood and played by any blockhead. Just take a look at the average intelligence of the football fan. MORONS. It's a simple game. Baseball, on the other hand, is full of strategy, trickery, game-manipulation, strategic roster changes, mind games, etc. Other sports just don't have that. Baseball is kinda like chess in that you need to anticipate what your opponent is going to do in order to make your move. Don't guess wrong. Football players just memorize what they are supposed to do in certain formations and do it. Simple as that.
The heads of every football player and fan just exploded looking at this!
3) Todd, my cousin, criticized the fact that baseball teams play their rivals 20 times a year and that takes away from the magic. Well, what about interleague play? Baseball, for the most part, does not have it. So, the AL and NL are truly 2 different leagues with different rules even. Then, when they meet in the championship, it is something truly special because there is a good likelihood the teams have never played before. Nice.
4) Todd also mentioned that any sport where you can eat sunflower seeds and play at the same time is not a real sport. Just the opposite, amigo. That is true talent. And the sign of a true sport. Remember when the official drink of the MLB was All-Sport, the CARBONATED sports drink? Awesome. Next it will be Budweiser that is in the coolers (I would be surprised if it's not already there). That is a true sport.
A true athlete
5) He has me on the managers wearing uniforms thing. That is pretty funny. They all look like The Penguin from Batman Returns out there. But, we baseball fans just chalk that up to physical comedy, which spices up our game.
Plus, no cheerleaders, games played in warmer weather, no drill/dance teams, dot races, the risk of losing your life at any moment by taking a foul ball to the temple, the memories that can be formed with your father as he throws you into the row in front of you to catch said foul ball, 7th inning stretch, the fact that studies have shown that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in all of sportsdom, combined with the fact that uber-talented teams like the Yankees and Red Sox can be outplayed and beat by a bunch of ragtag players like the Rays make baseball THE GREATEST GAME ON EARTH.
That being said, I can't wait for football season (pro, not college, of course).
3 comments:
If, using your analogy, my ripping on baseball equates to me being a political left-wing liberal, then it may have been the first time that anyone from the state of Utah got tagged with that title.
P.S. My brain literally melted and came out my ears looking at that diagram, which forced me to use up all my sick/vacation days at work, so thanks a lot.
Let's strive for world peace here. The four major sports are all beautiful in their own way.
Baseball: mentally and physically challenging.
Basketball: Athletically graceful and artistic.
Football: beautiful for the raw physical forces at work.
Hockey: Kind of a combination of the other 3.
so let;'s just all get along and be united in the fact that soccer is just plain worthless.
Todd, you're welcome for the sick days. And no, I would never suggest that you are a liberal, but criticizing baseball is just as crazy as being a liberal. It's just not normal. And yes, Anonymous, we love all our sports. I love basketball and football (go Giants). I enjoy going to hockey games and can even enjoy a good soccer game. I just have to be loud and proud when it comes to baseball to get my point across. You know how it is.
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