Jay Gould’s Photography Blog

It's the bottom of the fifth, Twins up on Baltimore 6-3.  The season opener, a marker that has long ushered in the end of Minnesota's winter and lead fans into the first weeks of what I like to call "the beer and grilling season."

After a return from living in Georgia for a few years, I am warmed by what this particular day means to Minnesotans.  There is a genuine excitement and positive cheerfulness, not aggression.  A tangible glow of history and hope. 

I did not plan to watch this game, but turned it on while making dinner and was stuck. The HUGE contrast between baseball and the last sport I watched on television, basketball, filled me with awe.  Where are the glitzy commercials… the blatant fouls… the obvious cussing???  Apparently sports can still appear casual and gentile, even at this level, and these ten reasons to enjoy baseball are just the ones on the tip-top of my head.

1) Batters warming up at the plate.  I love it.  The shimmy.  The little butt wiggle.  I personal ritual that is completely their own.  I can still remember Kirby Pucketts, lodged in there from my childhood for the rest of time.

2) Quiet acceptance.  A strike is usually a strike.  Arguing with officials is reserved for really important moments, making them special instead of annoying.

3) Missing fouls.  Sometimes a scuffle occurs, but mostly it is clean play, not pre-planned attacks filling the hours with endless free throwing.

4) Classic.  The uniforms, the logos, the wood bats.  Throw in some dirty 16mm film and catch a game and it would not be far off from 100 years ago.  Even the announcers feel just right.

5) Short advertisments.  Inning is over, here's a little commercial… makes sense.  Also, the great public service announcements starring coaches and players with silly puns as well… those shaped my moral being.

6) Not too Hip (hop).  I like to listen to hip-hop and some rap, but am amazed by it's presence in sports.  Not just basketball and football, but so many others.  The organ belongs in every sport.

7) Understandable strategy.  Anyone who picked dandelions during tee-ball can understand this sport enough to follow.

Fans Wearing Gloves.  I am still afraid of baseballs, and attend games with one purely to hold it in front of my face while I curl into a fetal position.

9) Mascots.  Gnate the Gnat is a close personal friend, and like so many baseball mascots, it tough as well as jovial.

10) Umpire armor.  That shiny black chestplate reminds me of Darth Vador in a sports coat… and it makes me laugh.  Now if they wore a necktie too I would have a new career.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 2nd, 2007 at 5:27 pm and is filed under Ramblings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.