The second week in February is circled on just about everyone’s calendar for some reason or another. ACU’s Sing Song is upon us, Valentine’s Day has love in the air and most importantly, Spring training is right around the corner.
Baseball fans have been counting down the days since the end of October while they wait patiently for the greatest game on earth to return. This weekend pitchers and catchers for all Major League Baseball teams will be in Florida or Arizona for Spring training, representing the start of America’s Pastime.
No more watching hours of re-runs on TV Land because there is nothing else on, or binge-watching shows on Netflix every weeknight. Instead, we can sit down every night at 7:05 p.m. and take in a baseball game.
Football season is exciting and fantasy football keeps our attention every Sunday, but leaves us bored the rest of the week. Baseball season gives us something to watch every night and something to look forward to every afternoon.
The smell of the fresh cut grass and the taste of sunflower seeds make baseball fans feel alive inside. It doesn’t matter if your favorite team is going to win 100 games or lose 100; there is joy and hope at the sight of the baseball diamond.
Baseball, like life, is not fair at all. Unlike other American sports, there is no salary cap in baseball, which creates a severe discrepancy in the amount of funds a team has to build a winner. However, nine different teams have won the World Series in the past 13 years. Nine different teams have also won the Super Bowl in the last 13 years. Although many people say that the NFL has more parity than baseball, the numbers clearly don’t tell the same story.
Baseball has underdogs such as the Oakland Athletics and the Tampa Bay Rays that simply don’t have enough money to compete with the big boys. However, the two teams have been model franchises and are always playoff contenders.
Baseball is also the sport where a single player has the least impact on a team. A quarterback can lead a bad football team and take them to the playoffs. An excellent basketball player can do the same thing. For an example, just look at Lebron James in Cleveland or Peyton Manning in Indianapolis. However, the best players in baseball cannot singlehandedly change a franchise.
Mike Trout, arguably the best player in baseball, has been unable to get his team into the playoffs two years in a row. Felix Hernandez, one of the best pitchers in the game, has been unable to pitch the Mariners into relevancy by himself.
Baseball’s uniqueness is what makes it special. Even though each team plays 162 times in 180 days, each game has a certain freshness about it that is unique and worth watching night after night.
So when you are stressed out because the judges didn’t grade your Sing Song routine correctly and your Valentine’s Day gift is crappy or non-existent, take a deep breath and remember this important news: baseball season is here and nobody can take that away from you.
