Why Baseball Is So Important.....

This week marks the beginning of the new Baseball season. But symbolically it means more than that. It marks the start of better and warmer weather. Flowers, grass growing, and trees in bloom. January 1st may officially start the year, but Baseball marks the true beginning.

Baseball is now a fading sport. That disturbs me a great deal. I have so many wonderful memories and experiences from my youth that revolve around playing, watching, or talking about Baseball. Summertime when I was young was a lot like the move, The Sandlot.

Opening Day 1975 - Sure I was there. Sunny, but cold.

Opening Day for my local team, the Indians, was like a national holiday to us. At that time, the Indians usually stunk. But on opening day we hadn't lost a game yet. I would always find a way to go, even if there was school. I went to a Catholic elementary school. We would ask the nuns, "Sister, if our parents say it's OK to go to the game, is it OK to miss school? " She would reply, "Let your conscience be your guide." Well, that was no problem. We were gone.

But why did Baseball mean so much to people of my generation? Because it was the game you played with your father. It was the game I played with my kids. It was the dominant sport during my growing up years. Remember, no ESPN, no social media. There was the NBC game of the week, and some local Indians games on TV. But all the games were on radio. On radio, you have to use your minds eye. How fast was that pitch Sam McDowell just thew past giant Frank Howard. That's how legends are made.

But Baseball is not a quick game. There's no time clock. There's time to talk between pitches. A batter can get several pitches before something happens. But if you really understand the game: those are good things.

There are two reasons why I think Baseball is so unique, and so important.

1. History - While it may have some origins with the sport of cricket, Baseball has been played in America since the 1830's. Professional Baseball has been played since the 1860's. That's a hell of a lot of history. And statistics have been kept all along the way. It has become infused into American culture.
2. Skill - It is my belief that Baseball requires a higher skill level than any other sport. While it requires an extreme amount of skill to play any sport professionally, consider the following. A

   

   A baseball club pays over 150 players- only 25 get to The Show.

   football player requires you to be big, strong, and fast. Yet, a player right out of college can star on the professional level almost immediately. That's a good thing because careers are usually short. In basketball you have to be an exceptional athlete. But if you happen to be blessed with great height, you possess a significant advantage. But only Baseball has a true minor league development system. And not just one minor league team, but several. It allows a player to grow and develop their skills. By the time that player reaches the major leagues, they are truly the best of the best. Strength on strength. Hall of Famer Ted Williams would say, " There is nothing so hard as hitting a round ball with a round bat - squarely."

So the next time you watch a major league game, consider that you are watching players that have spent years honing their skills, so they could compete in front of you that day. Compete in a game that Abe Lincoln could watch and understand today.

Me & Sudden Sam McDowell

Often times people will ask you what your favorite Christmas present was. Everybody has favorites when they were a kid. But the favorite present I got as an adult I got just a couple of years ago. My kids got me an autographed photo of former Indians pitcher Sam McDowell, my childhood hero. It hangs proudly on my wall. I feel a lot younger whenever I look at it.