My Favorite Things

Jason Michael Barker

Upon learning that I'm a sports fan, people often ask me what my favorite sport is, and without hesitation I answer "baseball". But when pressed to explain why, the answer doesn't come so easily.

What is it about baseball? Baseball fans seem to have a special affinity for the game, more so than fans of other sports. I consider myself to be a pretty serious basketball fan, and although I personally feel more at home on the court than on the diamond, there's a special something about baseball, a something that basketball lacks. How often have you heard hockey or football referred to as a religion, even by the most die-hard of fans? The answer: you don't. It's a label reserved for baseball.

Why is it that baseball fans love the game as they do? Obviously each fan has his or her own reasons, but I suspect there are some underlying, common themes among them. What follows are just some of the reasons I consider baseball to be "cooler", more interesting, more exciting, and just generally better than the other major sports (basketball, hockey and football). Hopefully you'll identify with some of these items, and maybe you'll discover a reason you love baseball that you weren't even aware of.

No clock. Down 10 runs in the bottom of the ninth inning? No problem. You've always got three outs left. Contrast this to other sports. If you're down 10 points in basketball with 15 seconds left, the clock is your enemy and your chances of coming back to win are slim and none. Time of possession is never an issue in baseball - each team gets 27 outs to beat their opponent.

Incredible odds. In what other sport can one player take on nine others and win? The batter is all by himself out there, yet he's in total control. And if he hits the ball out of the park, there aren't nine fielders in the world who can stop him. Think 11 on 1 would work in football?

Defense holds the ball. Think about it. In any other sport, the team with the ball is considered to be on offense. In baseball, you're on offense when the other team has the ball. It's a little thing, but one of those subtle nuances that makes the game interesting.

Confrontation. Baseball has the best confrontation in all of sports: hitter vs. pitcher. It's man vs. man, one-on-one. The pitcher rears back and throws a 95-MPH heater, daring the hitter to swing. Meanwhile, the batter has a split-second to decide if the pitch is right down the middle or up in his ear. Baseball is a team game, but the outcome ultimately hinges on the hitter vs. pitcher battle.

The manager. In other sports, you have a "coach" who wears either a stuffy suit or a bland team logo polo shirt while he roams the sidelines. In baseball, the manager wears the same uniform as the players, and he's right there in the dugout with them, spittin' seeds and talkin' baseball.

Simplicity. Out or safe. Fair or foul. Ball or strike. There's a peaceful simplicity to the game, which makes it easy to watch and enjoy. You don't have to understand illegal defense, clipping, offsides, icing, or the always fun "ineligible man down field". Further, you can focus your attention on the action and usually not miss anything elsewhere. Ever try to watch all 22 players on the football field at once? You'd need to if you want to see every penalty and infraction. In baseball you can sit back, relax, and take it all in.

Grace and beauty. The other sports are brutal. Hockey and football, by their very nature, are built around physical play and slamming into each other. Basketball is graceful at times, but you also have teams such as the Knicks and Heat who'd rather beat each other senseless than run the pick and roll. Baseball isn't about this at all. A slick-fielding shortstop making the pivot at the bag as he turns the double play is a thing of beauty, as is a speedy outfielder making a running catch, as is a perfectly executed squeeze bunt.

Common heroes. Is it easy to identify with a 300-pound lineman or a 7-foot 2-inch center? Not for most of us. Baseball players, on the other hand, are much more like real people. On any given day utility man Rich Amaral, all 6-feet, 175 pounds of him, could come off the bench at hit a game-winning grand slam home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. That could be you.

Rumor has it Jason Michael Barker will be replacing Ginger Spice, who announced this week that she's leaving the British pop group The Spice Girls. Send lyrics, dance steps, and a horrendous outfit to jmb@strikethree.com.