February 4th, 2010 4:12 am
For many people not addicted to the sports, being keen on baseball may be something short of insanity. For them there is no fun in watching grown-up men go after a tiny ball, flung or hit by another grown-up man who obviously wanted the ball to go beyond the reach of others. But for baseball enthusiasts, it is the best game in the world, even celebrated in little pieces of cardboard called baseball cards. Most treasured are Topps baseball cards, those plain reminders of the great men of baseball, complete with the batting statistics, names, signatures and other information so precious to the hearts of baseball fans.
But why is baseball so popular? The foremost reason is because it is a spectator sport. For the reason that it is held in an open area, it may be seen by many persons. Even if viewing is confined to the number of people who line the periphery of the baseball diamond, the number is still more. Contrast baseball to chess and you get the notion. If only a portion of the number is truly engrossed in the sports, the real fans will be greater in number. One irrefutable proof is the super-large arenas mainly for playing baseball games.
Second, baseball is an activitysport. There is a lot of action, but normally in flurries, so the spectator is not overwhelmed. A spectator can truly follow the movement of the main players as they fly around the bases, throw the ball, or run home to score. But suspenseful, quick action occurs quite regularly, enoughsufficient to get people addicted to watching the games. Furthermore, the game is quite simple to follow, the players easily viewable, winning and losing quickly grasped.
Next, it is a game of heroes. The guyplayer who hits the ball to beyond the field and make successive homeruns is a hero. The pitcher who consistently outs his batting opponents is a hero. The outfielder who catches the fly ball with the bright sun shining in his eyes is a hero. Anyone who makes a home run against great odds, is also a hero. They may be rare, true, but they are there and you need to watch the games to see them.
Baseball is a many player sports, from two players to 20 or even beyond that. It is adaptable enough that from a pair of players one as batter, the other as pitcher and fielder it can accommodate to as many as desired, as long as the field can contain them and everyone agrees to the arrangement.
Then it is a game for everybody. For every age, any class, from all walks of life: there is no prejudice or requirements. A child, a father or a grandfather and all the others between and all family sides can enjoy it at the same time, in the same stadium, for the same purposes. It makes for a great bonding not just for family members but for friends, neighbors and even strangers.
Last, it is a game of proficiency, guts, willpower and physical abilities, all of which we believe ideal for ourselves and thus in others, too.