America's Past Time

Staying loose is a very key necessity in this game. The dress is very formal for a sport. Full uniforms with belts and different colors. Some of the colors are bright and vary according to a particular mascot, others are simple white and gray colors with stripes. Metal cleats are needed to dig into the dirt as runners round the bases. The cleats give traction on the solid, sometimes slippery ground. A hat is required on the field and a helmet is needed to set foot in the batter's box. The game is decided by balls and strikes, offense and defense.

The rituals for the players and coaches are extreme. Some fans are as dedicated to the rituals, if not more, as many of the coaches and players. Many have their own routine. Some eat certain meals, listen to certain music, or pass around signature hand-shakes to other team-mates. Some even purposely do different activities if they're in a slump or had a bad game. The rituals vary greatly and have only evolved and expanded throughout the years, and there have been many.

The rules of the game are very classical and formal. The game has changed slowly as technology has evolved, but the game is insistent on sticking to its roots. The rules are nearly perfect and in my opinion took a genius to develop the rules and fundamentals of the game.

Many people would argue that America's past-time is boring. Some people have said, "There just isn't as much action as football or basketball." This is true, but it is a harder sport to play than those two. Baseball is not as physical as football or basketball, although basketball isn't very physical at all, but how many people do you know that can hit a 95 mph fastball? Or an 85 mph curveball for that matter.

Football and basketball take a lot of practice and dedication, but you have to be born with many physical advantages to play the game at the collegiate or professional level. You have to have height, speed, strength and coordination to play the game. Baseball takes these qualities as well, but the practice it takes get to the collegiate or professional level is extreme. The great thing about it is that anyone with some athleticism can do it if they do the work, but few are capable of such a task.

David Eckstein is a 5'7, 175 pound MVP of the 2006 World Series. What other sport could he achieve such a feat? Other than golf. Another example would be the 2008 American League MVP Dustin Pedroia, who is slightly bigger than Eckstein at 5'8, 180 pounds. I could go on and on but I believe I've made my point. It isn't their size or strength that make them great, it's the hard wok and dedication the two of them possess that have turned them into playmakers.

America's past-time is great because anyone can play it. It broke the color barrier in sports, helped the country get through World Wars, as well as the Great Depression, and is played throughout country fields, city streets, and third-world countries. People find a way to play the game. Whether it's a traditional ball and bat, or a stick and boucy-ball. People have played and watched the game for more than 100 years, and even though the game has been tainted in recent years, beaseball and its fans will find a way to get through it and make it great again.