Chris Thelin
Equinox Staff
Today marks a marvelous day on the sports calendar. Yes, baseball season is finally here.
With the Yankees taking on the Detroit Tigers at 1 p.m., I could not find more of a legitimate reason to tell my teacher that I have been feeling ill. Baseball is just different than most sports. Seeing as the season is longer and seemingly takes longer to play a single game than any other sport, the game just seems to be more relaxed.
After a loss from one’s favorite football team it causes great distress in a person. It can sour a good mood and makes one reflect on it for hours. I’m sure it has happened to you, I know it has to me. Baseball is different though.
There are 162 games in the season, taking away the pressure from each loss. The baseball mentality is different. “I know we didn’t win, but hey, let’s get out there and get them tomorrow.”
Players seem to have more fun in baseball. Look at the Texas Rangers with their antlers last year. Every team has their own little thing from secret handshakes to pranks that they play on each other.
Is there anything better than taking a Saturday off and heading to a bar to watch a nice afternoon game with some friends?
Baseball seems to be the most social sport around. Every other sport needs full attention or you may miss something. Baseball has enough dead spots where you don’t need to focus on the game with their full attention.
It almost forces conversation. If not it would be an awkward three hours.
However, “America’s Pastime” seems to no longer be America’s pastime. With the MLB season starting up, the NFL lockout is grabbing the front page in sport sections and ESPN. It is becoming more and more apparent that American’s don’t care as much about baseball as they once did. Football is definitely the king of the sports world with almost non-stop coverage of nothing happening.
I argue, is there anything more relaxing than watching a baseball game, whether in person or on television?
Most of my Saturdays during the season consist of me waking up, doing homework until one, and then promptly planting myself on the couch with a few adult beverages as I enjoy my weekend.
Games in person are some of the best experiences I have had in my 22 years. I remember singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” with Harry Carrey or sitting in the right field bleachers with the Bleacher Creatures chanting at the top of my lungs “DER-ECK-JE-TER” followed by five claps.
I have seen monster home runs, diving catches, and just historic moments. When I was just a lad living in Chicago, I was fortunate enough to see Ryne Sandberg’s last home game wearing Cubbie blue.
It just so happened that that game he hit two homeruns. It was just amazing to watch. As we all know, baseball took a huge hit following the strike, which eventually led to the steroids era.
Now, everyone from the mid-2000s who achieved some success is immediately accused of cheating. All the players are now assumed to be guilty until proven innocent, which is absolutely terrible for the sport.
However it does seem like there is some hope for the sport. Small market teams are finally putting themselves on the maps, similar to Virginia Commonwealth University and Butler University did during the NCAA tournament. It is now well known that teams need to draft smartly and develop talent.
From there they have a few years to be a competitor before the team will eventually blown up because all these good young players want to get paid.
Look at the Tampa Bay Rays, they were so close to winning it all but just came up short against the Phillies, but it showed the proper way of winning if you are not the Yankees or the Red Sox.
I love baseball, everything about it. From sunflower seeds to the rare triple play, I try to embrace the game on a daily basis.
Chris Thelin can be contacted at cthelin@keeneequinox.com
