Why I don’t watch: baseball
You can tell this guy hates the diamond. Such sadness./U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class John Collins
Just throw the damn ball already
As far as sports go, I watch a lot. I enjoy hockey, football, figure skating, you know, the usual suspects. What I don’t and won’t watch, however, is baseball, or as I call it, ‘basestall’, due to the fact that it feels like time isn’t moving when you watch. I just never understood the appeal of it. America’s favourite pastime? Doesn’t time have to pass for that to be relevant?
Alright, enough with the poorly timed jokes and on with the real question. Why, with of all the sports out there, is baseball enjoyed by so many people when it’s just not very electrifying for the most part? I mean sure, there are home runs, double plays and down-the-line hits that make it seem exciting, but overall, the whole thing seems kinda boring. The most entertaining part of the game is in the ninth inning and that’s only if it’s a close game. Or the beer.
Another thing to bring to table is the length of the baseball game itself. Three hours? Are you kidding me? You want me to sit three hours and watch a pitcher who may or may not throw the damn ball? Shorten the innings, add a play clock in somewhere, just do something! That being said, I have read that the ball games have gotten shorter; eight minutes or so have been shaved off the original three hour mark and, apparently, have not only made the games faster on the clock, but on the field. Good for them, I suppose. When the games get down to two and a half hours, give me a shout.
In my attempts to watch a baseball game all the way through, I’ve heard fans of the game say that it’s as much about relaxing and just enjoying the game as a whole as it is about watching high octane plays. Those people may have a point. I can surrender that baseball is a good sport to view when you want to unwind, but I will also say that one has to be very patient when watching the game. Everything isn’t going to happen at once; you need to wait for a big play to come along. That’s definitely one of the major reasons I don’t follow the sport. It just doesn’t feel like there’s any drive to make big plays.
Disliking baseball may be due to my days playing the sport when I was younger. Yes, there was nothing quite like sitting cross-legged on the ground and picking dandelions while a game was being played out. All in all, baseball may be right for some people, but it doesn’t look like that’s the case for me. A game built on patience and an easygoing mentality, that’s just way too stressful to me.
