I have commitment issues. As the great musician and lyricist, Fergie, once said, "boys just come and go like seasons." Baseball is one of the few constants I have in my life. With 162 games per season, I always have something to rely on. Sure, baseball can break your heart. But baseball won't tell you that it's interested and never call you back. Baseball is the nice guy of the sports world. The smart guy. The funny one. The best friend you sometimes take for granted. Baseball is honest. It is reliable, and it is the furthest thing from boring.
With nine innings and 54 outs (usually) per game, it's easy to comment on baseball's inevitable length. Yes, a day at the park can exceed four hours. What else do you have to do? Are you missing a Law & Order: SVU marathon? Will you go into cardiac arrest if your lungs are subjected to fresh air and joy? Yes, a day at the park is long. But have you ever seen anything so spectacular? Have you ever felt a crowd of 30,000 people hold their breath all at once? Have you sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" like you're auditioning for The Voice?
Baseball is a mental game. It is not designed for those in search of mindless entertainment. While most people will go anywhere that serves beer and hot dogs, it takes an intelligent brain to appreciate what happens on the field. Every pitch matters. One swing, one small motion, has the power to change everything. Nothing is guaranteed. A win or a loss is never certain, even with two outs and a full count in the bottom of the ninth. That's what makes baseball so good. It's real. It brings you up only to tear you back down. A baseball season is like a trailer for life. You'll have your slumps, your bad days, and your hot streaks. You'll have droughts, some as long as 108 years. In the end, you'll have learned how to cope with failure. You'll know what it feels like to love something more than you thought you could. As a baseball fan, you're able to understand what it means to be a part of something bigger than yourself.
Whether you came out of the womb memorizing stats, or you've been a loyal supporter of the Chicago Cubs since November of 2016, baseball has impacted who you are today. There is a reason baseball is called America's pastime. It played a tremendous role in defining social culture, integrating professional sports, and building tradition. Every year, thousands of athletes pour their hearts and souls into a game. Baseball is just that, a game. But for people like me, it is so much more.
