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June 11, 2021
New Blog Topic:
Just What Is It About This Game We All Love?
and
Be Sure to Check out the Two Videos Below!
I thought I’d offer you something just a little bit different today. I’ll take off my “baseball history cap” for a moment and put on my “reflections cap.” That’s the nice thing about have a blog at your disposal…you can expound on just about anything you want. So I’ll ask you to indulge me a little as I do a little rambling, while you can engage in a little reflecting of your own. Let’s see if you come to the same conclusions I do.
Those of us who have been around for a while tend to have a rather jaded view of the game today. We’re not particularly pleased with what we see. Whether it’s the infiltration of mega-bucks, the takeover of the game by the analytic nerds, the crazy new rules altering the basic structure of the game, or the predominance of home runs and strikeouts, it seems that it’s just not the same game we grew up with. And this bothers us.
But I’m here to tell you that all is not lost. There’s still plenty of hope. That same “intangible quality” – that fascination with the game we perceived in our youth – is still
there and continues to attract new generations of fans. I can’t quite get my hand on it but I know it’s there. And if you disagree with me, check out the two videos I’ve included with this post. I think they’ll prove my point.
What game besides baseball could evoke such emotions as we see so vividly in these videos? Maybe because it’s the game most of us grew up playing. It allows us to recall treasured experiences from our youth, and the bonding moments we had with our friends and our fathers. Maybe it’s the display of raw athletic ability we see when at a game, allowing us to engage in our own personal fantasy.
MIKE TROUT AND THE LITTLE GUY IN THE RED ANGELS CAP
The first video is basically a compilation of “Mike Trout being a good guy.” It’s the opening scene to which I want to call your attention. Check out the emotional outburst from the little guy in the red Angels cap after he gets an autographed ball. It’s even doubly sweet, as I suspect Mike Trout is his idol as he’s wearing a Trout jersey. I actually got chills up and down my spine just watching it. The kid is overcome with emotion. It’s obviously something he’ll never forget. And then there’s the wonderful bonding moment when he gets a big hug from his father, who shares in his son’s excitement. What a wonderful father-son moment!
Could anything besides baseball evoke such an emotional outburst? I think we can all agree that the game today may not be perfect, but if it’s still capable of eliciting responses like that from kids, then all is certainly not lost. The rest of the video is also worth watching with other similar, heart-warming scenes.
TREVOR WILLIAMS AND HIS DAD
The second video is totally different but is still a great example of just how important baseball is in our lives. It’s the great scene when Pirates pitcher Trevor Williams goes into the stand to see his family after winning his major league
debut. The reaction of his father is priceless. If it doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, then something is wrong. The father is so proud of his son, having made it to the major leagues, and so overcome with emotion that he can hardly speak. There is so much tied into a scene like this that it’s almost impossible to put to words, so I won’t even try. Looking at the featured photo above, I’m reminded of the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Whoever coined that phrase certainly had a moment like this in mind. I just hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
So what exactly am I trying to say? I’m not really sure, other than I love the game as I know all of you reading this do. The game itself is alive and well, even if we don’t like some of the things we’re currently seeing. It’s still a big part of the American experience, and continues to transcend whatever divisions might exist in our society. As such, it remains a large source of hope.
Plus, if it’s capable of evoking such emotional reactions as we’re seeing here from both young and old alike, then just maybe things aren’t as bad as we’ve been thinking!
Gary Livacari
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Yeah, Gary, heartwarming scenes indeed.
You’re so right. Uplifting to see a superstar like Mike Trout still humble, and who knows the young fans are the future of our great game. As the announcer said, “A seven tool player.”
Also, as you write, the Trevor Williams family moment transcends the unrest and divisiveness that surrounds us. Everything will be alright.
Thanks!
Thanks Bill. I appreciate the sentiment. When i saw those two videos, they sort of moved me to say something. We all have a lot of legitimate criticisms about the state of the game today, so when we see something positive, it’s worth mentioning. Glad you agree! -DD
Great examples of the power of baseball and it’s unique place in Americana. We all pretty much agree about the game today and it not being what we grew up with. The only thing that bothers me is that MLB is hypocritical when it comes to the kids. They say they want more young fans because the demographic is getting older. Yet all the important games are played at night when the very young can’t watch. When I was a kid we watched the World Series every year. Missed some of the weekday games because of school, but could always count on the weekend games being played in the afternoon. No more. Plus MLB loves to market the bat flips, showboating and me-first attitude of some of the players, similar to what’s being done in other sports. Manfred says let the kids play as if it’s all a good thing. That’s why MLB has never been real happy with Mike Trout. He doesn’t buy into all the junk. Just plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played. In addition, you don’t see kids playing sandlot baseball the way they used to. I’ve spoken with former players over the years who said when they were kids they could put their gloves on the handlebars of their bikes, ride around and find a game. No more. I recall Kevin Kennedy telling me that years ago when he rode around he would always see kids playing baseball at the park or in an open field. He wasn’t seeing that much anymore. Plus, like everything else, the cost of equipment has become prohibitive in many cases. So I wonder if large numbers of today’s kids will become lifelong fans like we are. Let’s hope so and let’s also hope that all the junk in today’s game stops before it gets worse.
Thanks Bill for taking the time for the detailed comment. Yeah the kids today don’t love the game in the same way we did. By the time the MLB higher ups get through implementing all the goofy new rules, we can only hope we don’t lose an entire generation of young fans. The game is still capable of bringing out passion in fans, we we see here, so that’s something we have to preserve.
I see a lot of young kids still seeming to enjoy the games. There’s still the great father/son connection. Just wonder how many of them in five or ten years will still be big baseball fans. Will they decide video games or more fun or basketball is the cool sport to watch. Or will all the other distractions today replace baseball. That’s probably the big question and also the reason the demographic continues to get older.
So why is Manfred trying to destroy the game we love?!
Yeah, that’s a very good question.
Probably because he and the owners he works for love money more, James.
There are a lot of good guys in baseball. As in life, however, the few bad apples seem to get the lion’s share of attention.
Still a great game, though.
One of the ways to enjoy baseball “as it used to be” is to attend a college wooden bat league game.
The analytics are missing and the game moves along at a enjoyable pace.
Pitchers are usually limited to a certain number of pitches to not be overused, but other than that it resembles the game we all love.
These leagues are scattered all over the country with a condensed schedule between 50-60 games in a little over two months.
Thanks Paul, that’s really good to hear. I’ll keep my eyes open one of these leagues.
Gary,
There is one practically in your backyard. The Midwest Collegiate League
https://midwestcollegiateleague.com/home/