You won’t hear me saying 2009 lacked much of anything… anything but “the boys of summer”.
I love baseball!
Growing up I always wanted to be a sports reporter, and back in primary school when I rarely missed a game, I took game-day stats on wide-rule lined paper. My first paid job was with the Mariners too!
I love baseball!
Growing up I always wanted to be a sports reporter, and back in primary school when I rarely missed a game, I took game-day stats on wide-rule lined paper. My first paid job was with the Mariners too!
Now that I’m back in America, Major League Baseball is once again back in my life. It’ll take a while to familiarize myself with who’s on which team and my year of absence in Cambodia may have lowered my adoration for baseball season a few notches, but I’m still a huge fan.Baseball…
…is steeped in tradition, drenched in stories of curses, laced in history.
…has a calming rhythm that gets disrupted by acrobatic double plays, leaps that steal homers, walk-off home-runs, dramatic pitching, dives and over-the-shoulder grabs.
…is accessible. With 162 regular season games for each team, you can turn on the TV and, as sure as you are to see an episode of Law and Order, you are sure to catch a ball game.
…has a great atmosphere. This is true especially in Seattle where we have gorgeous Safeco Field with its picturesque view and perfectly manicured field. Flying peanuts, the smell of garlic fries, open-air spectating, people of all ages. Come one, come all, it’s a beautiful thing.
…is steeped in tradition, drenched in stories of curses, laced in history.
…has a calming rhythm that gets disrupted by acrobatic double plays, leaps that steal homers, walk-off home-runs, dramatic pitching, dives and over-the-shoulder grabs.
…is accessible. With 162 regular season games for each team, you can turn on the TV and, as sure as you are to see an episode of Law and Order, you are sure to catch a ball game.
…has a great atmosphere. This is true especially in Seattle where we have gorgeous Safeco Field with its picturesque view and perfectly manicured field. Flying peanuts, the smell of garlic fries, open-air spectating, people of all ages. Come one, come all, it’s a beautiful thing.
How about you? Why do you love or hate baseball?
Go Mariners!
“No game in the world is as tidy and dramatically neat as baseball, with cause and effect, crime and punishment, motive and result, so cleanly defined.” ~Paul Gallico
AGREED!! love this post! Summer is when I love baseball most and I feel I've missed out for a couple seasons traveling, studying...so I can relate. There is something about baseball that no other sport has IMO. The special rituals of the players before the game, at the plate; the different mannerisms and styles (ex: watch milton bradley v. edgar martinez) the crack of the bat; the roar of the crowd; the smell of the grass or sea air depending on where you sit in safeco...I love all the things you said too esp tradition (cooperstown - its not a q of if, but WHEN ;). the image of different people coming together - like a grandfather and his grandson - the sport transcends the generational, language and cultural gap. the simplicity yet complexity (since it has so many facets) but (to paraphrase ted williams) really it's just about a round bat, hitting a round ball, square. I could go on and on (is my inner wannabe sports reporter showing too??) but lastly, I love the methodicalness of it all. Ex: I love basketball, but it's chaotic - the fast break, searching for the open shot or open lane as the 24 sec shot clock ticks down. baseball is fluid, self-regulating -- could be 2 1/2 hrs, could be 4. could be a rubber match, could be a test of muscle w/ the long ball or the wits of small ball. or how about how you can pick apart any old box score and you're there back in '27 w/ murderers' row (hate present yanks, love the oldies) or better yet the '95 Ms...
ReplyDeleteyep, I'm a fan :)
Woo!!!
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