My latest column at PJ Media is up and it deals with a subject near and dear to my heart; baseball.
A sample:
The mists of time are sure to shroud some of my memories in an unrealistic haze that makes the game of my youth a little more glorious than it actually was, elevating that period in American history above the squalid, grasping cynicism of today’s spectacles. But there is little doubt that America’s love affair with baseball has cooled, and it is hard to see how it can ever be re-ignited.
But the love affair is alive and well with some. And in my little town, the old spirit lives on in the hearts of the “Over 50” league — a group of middle aged men who refuse to see that time has passed them by and play the game with a love and abandon that calls to mind the best that the game has meant to America.
They do not play softball — either the 12” or 16” variety. This isn’t “Beer Ball” or some variation of a Saturday afternoon lark by drinking buddies. They play what we used to call “league” ball or “hardball.” And I can testify to the fact that they play for keeps — games come complete with brush back pitches, head first slides, and even the occasional bench clearing “rhubarb,” where the dignity and wisdom of age is replaced with the white hot emotion of competitive ballplayers.
There’s only one thing I’d change about my life if given a chance; I’d have pursued my dream to be a sportswriter. I love writing about politics but sports is where my heart lies.
9:02 am
How interesting Rick, you are not alone in your feelings. Many political commentators in the MSM and the blogisphere have expressed similar opinions about loving sports even more than politics. (It’s the only similarity between O’Riely and Olbermann!) Is it the competitive nature of the 2 that links such interests together? Or is there another,(perhaps uniquely American)thread that draws some kinds of people to love both subject with intensity?
Funny you should mention that. It used to be – before J-Schools became important – some of the greatest political reporters began as sports reporters. The reasons are pretty mundane. Sports reporters were used to writing about the “horserace” aspect of their sport which naturally appealed to a similar vein in politics. Also, hard news reporters weren’t very good at describing the action at a campaign stop – the crowd, the funny hats, the rousing speech. Also, most good sports reporters were adept at giving colorful descriptions of sports personalities. This also translated well to politics.
ed.
9:03 am
Ah, baseball. Statistics, steroids and sloooooowness, all together in one sport.
I kid. I kid the baseball cultists.
9:59 am
follow your heart, write a piece here once a week… week in review on the cubs or whatever…. baseball corner has my vote.
6:37 pm
Thanks for the reply Rick, I appreciate it very much. (What a nice thing to have one’s post replied to by the web-master!) If I could hazard a guess as to what part of your description rings the most true to me, it would be the comparison between the “action” of the political rally and of the sports crowd. There’s something quite magical about being 100 feet away to a good game being played and a powerful speech being spoken. Clearly, both activities are capable of bringing intensity and passion out of the most dormant personalities!
9:59 pm
if you do decide to cover sports I hope you’re better than Jon Greenberg for MLB.COM below….
“After only five games, Fukudome’s status among Cubs fans sits somewhere between Ernie Banks and sunshine. His reputation in Chicago is Obama-esque.”
You should have heard the roar for this guy in his first at bat yesterday. Unbelievable. But then, we’re talking about Cubs fans here – not the brightest bulbs in any room.
2:09 am
“They do not play softball — either the 12” or 16” variety. This isn’t “Beer Ball” or some variation of a Saturday afternoon lark by drinking buddies. They play what we used to call “league” ball or “hardball.” And I can testify to the fact that they play for keeps — games come complete with brush back pitches, head first slides, and even the occasional bench clearing “rhubarb,” where the dignity and wisdom of age is replaced with the white hot emotion of competitive ballplayers.”
Good for them!!
“Funny you should mention that. It used to be – before J-Schools became important – some of the greatest political reporters began as sports reporters. The reasons are pretty mundane. Sports reporters were used to writing about the “horserace” aspect of their sport which naturally appealed to a similar vein in politics. Also, hard news reporters weren’t very good at describing the action at a campaign stop – the crowd, the funny hats, the rousing speech. Also, most good sports reporters were adept at giving colorful descriptions of sports personalities. This also translated well to politics.”
Very interesting observation.
9:09 am
Pope’s quote is good, but I prefer something a little more mundane:
“And they’ll walk out to the bleachers, and sit in shirt-sleeves on a perfect afternoon. They’ll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they’ll watch the game, and it’ll be as if they’d dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick, they’ll have to brush them away from their faces.
People will come, Ray.
The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again. Ohhhhhhhh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.”
Kind of a stupid movie (though not a bad book), but I watch it to see James Earl Jones give that one speech.
So have you been tempted to pick up a glove again and join those 50+ players. You were pretty good in your youth…probably like riding a bicycle, you’d pick it up again right away.
I used the Jones speech a couple of times over the years and in an article last year – damn good speech. And a couple of years ago I tried to swing a bat in a batting cage and nearly had a hernia. So no, my ballplaying days are over.
ed.