As American as Apple Pie

The way I see it...baseball really is America's favorite past-time. Or, at least, it should be. Now, don't get me wrong - I'm a much bigger fan of football, in terms of the sport itself. Nothing like watching someone get plowed into the ground to get your blood pumping. And with a shorter season and only one game a week, football is easier for me to keep up with - plus, what else do I really have to do in November? Not a whole lot.

However, there's just something about baseball that's special. Tonight, I went to a Triple-A game, and although the home team lost by a landslide, I had a great time. The cool, early summer weather was perfect for sitting back, hoping to catch a fly, and enjoying time with friends. There's a certain culture at baseball games. Everyone there knows the rules of this culture. We know all the words to the chants and songs: "Bum-bum-bum-BUM-bum-BUM!...Charge!" Or, "Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks..." We eat the same foods - hot dogs and pretzels and ice cream in helmet shaped bowls. We all clap whenever someone catches a fly, or laugh when someone gets pegged by one, and, we stand reverently for the Star Spangled Banner and during the 7th inning stretch for God Bless America. And, if it's a fireworks game, we all ooh and ahh at the same places. It's kinda like we're all friends for a few hours, held together by the bond of a common love for the sport.

All of these factors are what endear baseball to us, year after year. They're what keep us coming back, even after scandals, business, and politics seem to have otherwise corrupted the sport. And, they're what make baseball America's sport, and one of my favorite ways to spend a summer evening.