Poetry In Motion

Recently I went to see my favorite minor league baseball team. The Toledo Mud Hens are a "AAA" team that is part of the Detroit Tigers' franchise. They built a new stadium a few years back. This was my first chance to see all of the improvements. Compared to the Tigers the parking was cheaper, the seats were closer and the fun overall was greater. Baseball is more than our national pastime. The sport is a thing of beauty to behold.

I do not dwell on what people commonly complain about. Expensive tickets, high salaries and drunken fans are beside the point. The wonder and beauty I see cannot be spoiled by such mundane trivialities. Baseball is really very simple at heart. A pitcher tries to throw a ball without it being struck. A batter tries to hit the ball with all his strength. The other players' sole purpose is to provide support.

It is exciting to watch and wonder just how the pitcher will throw the ball. We wait breathlessly to see how the batter will react. The scoreboard offers many statistics but it is the field we watch. With hot dog in hand or peanut shells underfoot we root for our team and hope for the best. Positive thinking permeates all who attend the event. Player and spectator alike smile inwardly as they focus outwardly.

There is that singular moment in any game which defines the beauty I previously mentioned. The ball is thrown. The batter swings. We hear the crack of the bat and watch the ball sail effortlessly toward the outfield. We rise and cross our fingers. The ball continues its trajectory and a home run is achieved! The crowd melds into one voice as they cry in exultation. One lucky patron may leave with a prize greater than most men dream of.

So much emotion is felt by so many. We watch this game with love in our hearts. The actions on the field make us feel so alive! We live vicariously for those few hours through those whom we idolize. It is not just the delight we feel that draws us. It is the return to a state of childlike innocence that keeps us there. We secretly long for that feeling and satiate it whenever the opportunity arises. This is why baseball is so connected to our hearts and minds.

Baseball is played in many countries. Children everywhere grow up playing some form of it in their neighborhoods. We collect the memorabilia and souvenirs that connect us to the players we love. No other pastime represents the best in humanity. What else can create such adrenaline without any side-effects? Baseball will always fill us with happiness and hope. Go out and enjoy it no matter where it is played. Break out your mitt, forget your worries and be a kid once again!