Baseball was designed as a slow game. No times limits. No
Overtime shootouts.
As kids we played under sunny skies and ended when the sun
went down.
It seems in our overly connected and distracted modern
world, there is some desire to make the game quicker.
Shorter.
More action.
More like a video game.
Stop trying to change baseball.
Instead embrace baseball for what it is - the perfect
antidote, as well as the perfect fit for the modern sports fan.
The Antidote
An afternoon at a baseball game is in so many ways, just
what the doctor ordered. How many of us could benefit from having a chance to
slow down life, rest, connect with friends and do something enjoyable.
Baseball is the perfect sport to slow down. There are short
bursts of action, with breaks in between.
These breaks that give you a chance to talk with a friend
you never make time for.
A break to think, gather your thoughts or even let your mind
wander.
Breath in fresh air.
Bask in the sunshine.
It contrasts our lives that demand that we never take
breaks. They seem to run out of control and out of order. Baseball gives us a
chance to watch 2 teams take turns. Compete as equals.
Even the players share a laugh when one reaches first base,
or congratulate a fellow competitor after making a great play in the field.
Taking in an afternoon at a ballpark goes a long way in
giving our bodies and minds the break they need.
A night at the ACC watching the Leafs or Raptors leaves me
energized and excited.
An afternoon with the Blue Jays leaves me feeling connected
and refreshed.
I think my life needs more times of refreshing than I need
more energy.
The Perfect Fit
On the other hand, baseball is the game designed to take
advantage of Millennial culture.
The breaks between innings allow for in-stadium Twitter
polls and posting Instagram selfies.
It’s the game where underdogs seem to thrive, and He who
spends the most money doesn’t always win.
Baseball is more local than national.
Baseball season lasts longer, the games last longer, the off
days are minimal. Fans don’t have to follow schedules or worry about if there’s
a on when they get a break in their schedule.
Baseball is played around the world in every culture.
TV, music and movies have all embraced baseball as a central
theme.
Baseball connects us unlike any sport outside of the
Olympics.
Baseball unlike any other sport fits into an interactive
globally connected culture.
So please. Stop trying to change baseball to make it more
like other sports, or to fit better into broadcast windows.
Sure I could deal with fewer visits to the mound by an
overweight manager taking a slow walk to allow time for relief pitcher to warm
up.
And yes, there is no need for a batter to un-velcro his
batting gloves after every pitch.
But truth be told. Every trip to the mound and every long at
bat might actually be the gift baseball gives me.
A chance to relax.
A chance to connect.
A chance to slip away from the everyday and lose myself if a
world that brought me joy as a child, and brings me peace as an adult.
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Don’t mess with baseball. Embrace it for what it is.
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