Let's Play Ball!!

I'm not what you would call a sport's person. The only physical activity I do, apart from gardening, is biking. I don't play, or even watch, tennis, golf, soccer, etc. and you would never catch me in a hockey arena. However, I do like baseball. To me it's a sport, that's more mental then physical. That is,

An old picture of the Dome

1. It has statistics. I think that it has more statistics than any other sport, I know. Well, the very few I know, anyway. I remember once, a long time ago, having an announcer quote a statistic for the number of times a pitcher's hat fell off during an inning. Now that's detail!!

2. It has history. My father always watched the world series. I knew that I could spend time with him, if I watched too. This is how, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees were, for a time, the only teams I ever cared about and our favourite was always the Dodgers.

3. Unlike hockey or football, it's not a body contact sport. It's more about speed, stealth and timing. I love seeing a well played "double play," a speedy stolen base, or a surprise snaring of a line drive. Plus, nothing matches a running dive or jump for a fly ball, that could go out of the park, except for a well placed glove.

4. It has rules, in the sense, that Chess has rules. Where to stand, how to swing, when to run and when not to run, fair balls, fouls balls, etc. these are the building blocks of the game. Break a rule and you are penalized. Know an obscure rule and you could win!

5. It has science. I have to believe there are more unique pitches in baseball, than shots on goal in hockey or soccer. Fast ball, curve ball, sinker, slider, or the maverick knuckle ball all push the boundaries of objects in motion. When hit, these pitches are further influenced by air pressure, wind, altitude and several other cosmic forces.

No, give me the subtleties of baseball, anytime, over the endurance of soccer, the rough and tumble of football or the noise of hockey.

CN Tower at night

Last night, we went, as a family, to the Roger's centre to watch the Blue Jays play the Kansas City Royals, winners of last year's world series. It was an evening of classic baseball. On a warm summer night, we had great food - popcorn, hot dogs, beer, exciting baseball - lots of hits, some amazing catches, home runs, double plays and nail biting tension, when Kansas City tied the score, late in the game. Fortunately, the Jays won before an ecstatic crowd of nearly 40,000.

Yes, for me, anyway, Baseball, especially at the dome, though we have been to Fenway Park and the original Yankee Stadium, is a great outing, particularly when the home team wins. Do I dare dream of another world series with the Jays in contention? Got my fingers crossed.

Have a great day.