"They give you a round bat and they throw you a round ball. And they tell you to hit it square."
Willie Stargell (1940-2001; former Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder and 1st baseman)
"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great."
Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan in 1992's "A League of Their Own"
I'm not really a huge baseball fan. Not really a fan of any professional or college-level sports. Guess you could say not a sports fan at all.
But, two-fifths of my family are definitely sports fans, and I think it safe to say most ardently BASEBALL fans, so consequently I occasionally assume the role of a spectator, being the good 'sport' (pun intended) that I am and for the enjoyment of the company. Some aspects of of baseball I do find especially irritating though. First, and probably the most contributory to my remaining dislikes of baseball, is the size of the professional baseball players' salaries. Yes it's free market principles at work. And yes, if huge amounts of the general public (and the two-fifths of my family) refrained from purchasing tickets to attend games then the principles of supply and demand would bring those prices (and salaries, etc) down.
Next (and wouldn't you know it- it's money again) is the astronomical prices levels being charged for food and beverages at the ball park. To the supply and demand equation I (and usually the two-fifths) do not contribute. So in and of itself, the prospect of being a baseball fan simply does not provide me with an adequate return of investment both in terms of money and my valuable time.
But being the optimistic pessimist, I do enjoy aspects of my periodic jaunts to the ballpark when asked. I am fascinated by the ever-present herd mentality of humans at a large sporting event. And I do enjoy the specter of my fellow homosapiens gorging on greasy food and shouting specific instructions to young men hundreds of yards away and far out of hearing proximity. But, as I realized at a recent game, I am becoming increasingly appreciative of the complex psychology (all baseball superstition aside) of the game of baseball.
What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html
OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD)
My latest solo release, '2014', can be downloaded digitally at:
(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)
Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com
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