Most Americans find that there are four major sports: football, basketball, baseball, and hockey, although soccer is making a charge. Only one of those can be the best sport in America, and although I may be a little biased, the clear winner is baseball. There's a reason it's considered "America's Pastime." It was the first popular major sport and has thrived since. If you really don't believe me, then let me persuade you with the reasons why baseball is the best sport.
1.) There is no clock. The game of baseball is based on the pace of play from the players, not a clock. Therefore, there is no interruption of the flow of the game because there are no timeouts or stopping of play. Yet even as there is no clock, there is still a sense of timing in the game. As the game gets closer to the 9th inning, the pressure builds and strategies shift and excitement builds, even though no team is trying to "beat the clock."
2.) It's much more strategic than people realize. Baseball is a game of strategy because the main aspect of the game, pitching the ball, is entirely strategic in nature. A pitcher has to decide which pitch to throw every time, and that can change depending on the variables at play: the count, the batter, what inning the game is in, how many runners are on base, how confident he feels with his pitches based on his performance throughout the game, and so on. Plus, with the rising popularity of shifting, defensive alignment is completely strategic to anticipate where the batter might hit the ball.
3.) A 162 game season. No other sport comes close to this. Would you rather watch your favorite team 16 times a season, or 162 times? Baseball gives fans the most opportunity to go to the stadium and watch their favorite team.
4.) The All-Star Game. Or the All-Star Weekend for that matter. The home-run derby is fun to watch and simply admire the strength and ability to hit balls as far as humanly possible. But the real All-Star game is the best All-Star game of all the major sports because it's the only one that matters. It determines which league gets home-field advantage in the World Series. So if the American League wins the All Star Game, then the American League champions get to play a possible Game 7 home game. This makes the All Star Game competitive all the way through. The Pro Bowl is a lame excuse for a football game, the NBA All Star Game is only competitive in the last quarter, and the NHL All Star Game is rarely competitive either. Only baseball has the one that matters.
5.) We have the best fans in the world. Where else can you find dedicated, loyal fans for a team who has not won a championship in over 100 years (I'm looking at you, Cubs fans)?
There you have it. Baseball is simply the best sport out there. Nothing can beat the sights and sounds of the stadium. No sport has its own designated song like "take me out to the ballgame," or its own designated snack like the Cracker Jack. No sport compares. Why can't it be baseball season yet?
