Why Baseball Will Never Fade Away

Sometimes, a piece of writing perfectly encapsulates an idea or event, putting into a few short words what our hearts and minds knew to be true all along. Joe Posnanski’s article on baseball’s enduring nature fits snugly into that category:

People have been burying baseball for a long time, and there are certainly reasons to believe that someday soon America will move on to something else.

I don’t think so, though. Yes, it’s local. No, it doesn’t do great TV ratings. Yes, there’s cynicism in the game and yes kids need more stimulation in their lives. But there’s something about baseball that has endured and, I believe, will endure through steroids and short attention spans and free agency and big contracts and everything else. Maybe I could explain it like this: If you go up to a baseball fan anywhere in America — in Montana, in Florida, in Texas or in Connecticut — and ask “Who scored the millionth run?” there’s a chance they will say they have no idea. But there’s a pretty good chance they’ll say “Bob Watson.” Why do they know that? Why do they care about something that meaningless? I think they care because of something I have said about baseball before: ”I never argue with people who say baseball is boring because baseball IS boring. But then, suddenly, it isn’t. And that’s why it’s great.“

Sometimes, baseball can be boring, especially if you are not particularly fascinated by the mental tug of war between pitcher and batter. However, you can go into a run of the mill game and suddenly find that A-Rod has homered on his first swing back from surgery, or Andy Pettitte is chasing perfection, or Melky hits another walkoff, or Luis Castillo drops the ball. Suddenly, what once may have seemed boring is thrilling and exhilarating, and you have a memory that lasts a lifetime. That is what makes baseball great.

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