For me there is no other sport in the world that comes as close to perfection as baseball does. In fact, baseball may actually be perfection defined.
Where do I begin? How do I start this argument? How can I sway the fans of other sports in the direction of my opinion?
Babe Ruth. That’s all that I need to say. No other sport has such an iconic star. That one athlete that is king and defines all that their sport is. That one player who stands the test of time. It’s hard to argue that Babe Ruth is not the greatest baseball player of all time. Not only was he the most dominant and feared hitter of his time he was also his era’s greatest left-handed pitcher (at the time that he pitched). Basketball fans will argue between Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Hockey fans weigh the merits of Gordie Howe versus Wayne Gretzky and football has several players that could be considered the greatest but not that one definitive one.
Another great aspect of baseball is that there is no time clock. No clock and yet there is just as much pressure as a two-minute drive in football. However, that pressure lasts all nine innings and even longer if the game is tied.
And a scoreless game in baseball is not boring unlike a scoreless soccer or football game. Why? That means that the fan is being treated to an exciting pitcher’s duel wondering who will break first.
A Hail Mary pass to end a football game? A last second buzzer beater in basketball? Nope. They will never be as beautiful or majestic as a walk-off home run.
Does any other sport even have the equivalent of a “perfect” game? I can’t think of one.
Who can forget the first time they broke-in a glove? The fresh smell of the leather was unlike anything else.
Baseball is a summer sport. It’s a family sport. It is the American pastime.
I remember going to the ballpark early to take in batting practice and to sit in the outfield bleachers hoping for a ball to leave the yard so I could take home a souvenir. You can’t do that in any other sport. That connection to the game just simply does not exist.
And then there are the sights and smells at the ballpark. The hot dogs, the fresh cut manicured grass, the peanuts. And for us older fans there’s the smell of beer. And who can forget the changing of the seasons? Opening day is brisk and cool and you may need to bring a jacket. Then summer comes along and you’re wearing shorts and fanning yourself with your all-star ballot and then as the playoffs near you find yourself needing that jacket again.
Is there a national televised pee wee league super bowl? What about basketball or hockey and their junior players? Baseball has the Little League World Series which features teams from all over the world.
Did anyone ever see the Ken Burns’ documentary on football? Of course not. Only baseball could have a ten-part documentary made on it in such an epic scale. And I’ve watched it repeatedly. I’m at the point now that I can watch it and talk along with the narrator.
Then there are the movies. No other sport has had as many great films made about it or with it as the key part as baseball. “The Natural”, “Field of Dreams”, “Bull Durham”, “A League of Their Own” and “Pride of the Yankees” are a few in a long list of Hollywood pictures with baseball as the star.
Only baseball has a history so deep and rich that books on it are just as big as books on American history themselves.
Heck, baseball is America. And it’s the greatest game ever invented.
James Holland is a lifelong fan of baseball and his hometown Texas Rangers. You can follow him on Twitter @TXRangersJames.
Sources:
http://mlb.com
http://imdb.com