With almost everything we do in life, there is a certain element of culture at play. With golf, you think of country clubs. With basketball, you think of the streets. Football has an almost military quality to it.
What about baseball? Peanuts and cracker jacks? Hot dogs in the bleachers? Star-Spangled banner? It seems that when it comes to baseball, there are so many traditions we associate with it. Perhaps that’s because baseball has always been about tradition, and a “home-grown” way of life for nearly two centuries.
Modern takes
Many young kids nowadays aren’t so into baseball. That is to say, their attention spans are shorter, and therefore they have no interest in sitting around watching the games. It’s not a coincidence that basketball is more popular than it’s ever been – the points are scored frequently, and that means constant action.
When it comes to baseball, the game goes a lot slower. The pitcher gets the ball, thinks about what pitch he wants to throw, then looks at the catcher. It then takes a few extra moments for them to agree what kind of pitch he’s throwing, and only then will he begin his windup. Then he does it all over again. Sometimes, the pitcher needs to take a solid 20 seconds just to catch his breath, or to refresh his mind. And that’s without all of those “catcher’s walks” to the mound.
You’d be hard put to find a young person nowadays who prefers watching baseball over basketball. And that’s not a knock on baseball – it’s just the way entertainment gets delivered in the modern era.
Different from other sports
The truth is that baseball is one of the most unique damn sports the world has ever seen. What do basketball, football, soccer, and hockey all have in common? They each have rectangular fields (rounded rectangular for hockey), with two goals on opposite ends, with teams trying to score some type of goal on the opposite end. They also have a constant fluctuation between offense and defense (in other words, anyone can “steal” the ball from the other team at any given time). In addition, they are all timed sports.
Baseball is completely different from any of those sports. The shape of the field is different. The offense and defense are forced to take turns, and there’s only one goal – home plate. There’s also no time limit. In theory, a baseball game could last forever – and in many ways, that’s what makes it so special.
It’s a lifestyle
The truth is that there is an essence about baseball that is wholesome and meaningful. Life isn’t all about instant gratification, or at least it shouldn’t be. You can’t just hit a homerun every time. Sometimes you need to be batted in by your fellow teammate.
Some may call it boring – but in our opinion, it speaks to the ancient tradition of baseball that it has such a unique way of being played. And for those who have grown up loving it, and have passed it on to their loved ones – they wouldn’t trade it for any other sport.
