The Magic of Baseball and What it Means to You?

[Armor and Sword]

The Magic of Baseball and What it Means to You?

We are back this year with a fun and typically heartwarming thread!

I will be giving away one Standard Copy of MLB The Show 25 (either on the X or PS5 depending on your system). The runner up will get an official MLB The Show Tee-shirt compliments of fellow OS member Houston!

It's a really simple. Simply make one post about "What Baseball Means to You".

This has always been a great thread and I have read some incredible stories over the years we had done this.

I have not been this excited to play a new MLB game since MLB 20 so I decided to bring this back. I hope everyone enjoys the stories.

The deadline to post and be considered will be Friday February 28th 7PM EST



Baseball has been a game that has been a part of my life since as early as I can remember.....going back to 5 years old. Those are my earliest memories of hitting tennis balls with this over sized navy blue colored plastic bat. From that first moment of contact.....I was hooked.

55 years young now.....so baseball has been in my life for 50 years. From playing all the way thru 2 years of college, mens open hardball, softball and then coaching a lot from tee ball thru high school showcase ball....it's been a journey.

My son is currently a collegiate ball player playing in Raleigh NC and is going into his Sophomore campaign. He also played for the 5 time 7A State and National Champion Stoneman Douglas Eagles (winning it in 2021/2022/2023) and playing with guys like Coby Mayo, Roman Anthony, Gavin Conticello and the newest pros to be drafted last season in Devin Fitzgerald and Jayden Dubanawitz along with many current college players. I had the pleasure of coaching and having a hand in developing a lot of these guys from 13-16 years old. And most of that development was taking place between the ears. I always focused on the mental part of the game during my years coaching 13 years old and up....at that point it is 90% mental while you wait for them to develop into their man bodies. I can easily write a book on the do's and don'ts of travel/high school and college baseball. Maybe one day......

Watching my son has been my greatest joy and pleasure in this game I love and yes he too has professional aspirations and I hope he keeps chasing that dream. He has the talent and work ethic and most importantly mental toughness needed to potentially succeed at the next level. But even if in the likely event it does not happen....I will always have this life long journey I took starting at age 5 all the way thru to whenever my son is told he can no longer play a child's game and then it will continue on I am sure into other ways. But baseball will always be in my life.

Baseball has taught me humility, discipline and grace in how I handle life's curveballs and how to treat others with respect. It also has taught me how anything......and I mean anything is possible.

I look forward to reading all your own stories and it is always hard to pick just one....but there can be only one game given away.

Have fun with it and let's all enjoy MLB The Show 25 to the fullest this year.

Baseball is life.

[KnightTemplar]

Re: The Magic of Baseball and What it Means to You?

Well….it means that if some dope didn’t invent the curveball I coulda been a star.

[jcar0725]

Re: The Magic of Baseball and What it Means to You?

It reminds me of being a kid. For some reason, as soon as I could learn to read it seems, I would sit for an hour every morning and read the game stats from the previous night for every team in the league in the morning sports page, then I would read the "league leaders" every day and watch players stats rise and fall throughout the entire season. I was addicted to watching MLB players get called to the big leagues and see how their careers would pan out. I watched THIS WEEK IN BASEBALL every weekend, and that song today "gathering crowds" makes me hold back tears because I can remember those days like it was yesterday.

My first game, my dad took me to see Cleveland vs Detroit, and Mark the bird Fidrych was pitching for Detroit. I argued playfully with a detroit fan kid on the train to the stadium as to which team was going to win. I was probably 6-8 years old.

Fun fact, as a kid I used to think every batter started with a .300 batting average, and then would rise above or fall below that number based on their performance. I took me awhile to understand what those numbers meant.

Armor I don't want the free game giveaway, so don't consider me for the prize. Give it to someone else please. I just wanted to share the story.

[KnightTemplar]

Re: The Magic of Baseball and What it Means to You?

My dad had an offer to pitch for Boston (he was born in 1914, died young at 50), but wanted to get married. He was my little league coach. My oldest brother was in Special Services in the Air Force and did nothing but play football, baseball and basketball. Knee injuries prohibited from accepting an offer from the Redskins. My other brother pitched a no-hitter in a local amateur league so it runs in the blood.

For me 16 homers in 14 little league games, collecting 5 cent packs of baseball cards, then I discovered the guitar and all that stopped as I played in rock bands for 4 years. Off to the military and spent 4 years in Vietnam and the guitar playing stopped too.

But I always kept up with my last place Phillies. Loved the feel of the newspaper with the box scores, many of which I cut out of the paper.

On to civilian life where I played fast pitch softball along with 3 pitch.

I discovered video games and collected most of the baseball games and to this day it’s like Christmas Day. In a couple weeks it will be MLBTV followed by The Show 25.

Forever grateful. Like JCar…..don’t choose me. I’ve everything I want in life.

[dowie]

Re: The Magic of Baseball and What it Means to You?

So many great memories—T-ball, city ball, travel ball, school ball. If there was a game, I was playing.

I, too, remember the ’80s, grabbing the sports section every morning and breaking down box scores like my life depended on it. Before cable, before games were everywhere, that was how baseball came alive in my head. Those stats meant something.

And who could forget the MLB-themed Slurpee cups?

Racing home from practice to catch TWIB on Saturday mornings?

Or flipping on WGN right after school to watch the Cubs play?

For those of us who grew up in cold-weather states, pre-season indoor practices were a must—snow still on the ground, but we were out there taking BP inside a freezing gym. It wasn’t work. It was awesome.

One of the coolest things my dad ever did? Built me a stickball field in the backyard. Okay, it was a pitcher’s mound and some mowed baselines, but to me, it was perfect. If we were outside, we were playing something—stickball, wiffleball, HR derby, pickle—didn’t matter.

But maybe the best proof of what baseball means to me?

The baseball road trips.

Before wives, kids, and real responsibilities, a few buddies and I made it a ritual: pick 3 to 5 stadiums, hop in the car, and go. No flying. Just the open road and baseball.

We hit some epic combos:
- Boston, New York, Philly, Baltimore
- Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis
- Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati
- And the most insane one: Seattle, Colorado, Kansas City, St. Louis—all in one trip (starting from home in Detroit area).

Just a bunch of dudes, talking about life, but mostly baseball.

And then there’s that moment—the first time you walk into a real MLB ballpark. That first glimpse of the field, the smell of fresh-cut grass, the crack of the bat echoing through the concourse. If you’ve ever set foot in places like Wrigley, Fenway, Dodger Stadium, Old Comiskey, or Tiger Stadium, you know—it’s more than just a game. It’s a time machine.

These days, The Show keeps my love of baseball alive. I may not be taking live ABs anymore, but I’m still working counts, painting corners, and discussing sliders to get the game just right. Huge props to the developers for keeping us old-timers playing video games and talking baseball on streams.

Baseball—there’s nothing like it. The history, the memories—all of it.

It's funny, the older I get the more a lot of memories fade, except for baseball.

I can still remember the 1st MLB game I ever went to in 1982 (Tigers vs Angels). Carew, Jackson, Grinch....I couldn't believe it, these dudes were real! Parrish hit 2 dingers that game BTW.

Can anyone else remember a specific AB you had as a youth, or a play you made in the field or a pitch you threw? I can. Which is odd, because I can't remember what I had for dinner 2 days ago.

And that there is why baseball is so special - it somehow grabs hold of us and never lets go.


Dowie

[KnightTemplar]

Re: The Magic of Baseball and What it Means to You?

Dowie…..yes, I can remember.

Kenny Davis was one of the tough little league pitchers (If there was such a thing in 1958). He played for the Moose Lodge. I cracked a ball well over the 200 foot mark in left field. Next time at bat I heard a sarcastic voice from behind the backstop…”bet you can’t do that again”….crack, high fly ball, left fielder puts both hands up to catch it up against the fence. He sucked and the ball went thru his hands probably 201 feet.

And the crowd went crazy……I think.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: The Magic of Baseball and What it Means to You?

1985 I was a freshman and hit 9 HR’s in 20 games including 2 Grand Slams…..yeah that was a good year.

[liftheavy9]

Re: The Magic of Baseball and What it Means to You?

It reminds me of the fundamentals that is lost in today’s game. Respecting the player for having more walks than strikeouts. Loved reading those on the back of their baseball card. Laying down a sac bunt…working the count. No silly 3 batter minimum…running over the catcher…so much has been lost. The Cleveland Indians…the pine tar…the brush back pitches…the Nolan Ryan beat down of Robin Ventura. Love the respect players had for the game…not worried about what they looked like…what they wore…just baseball players.

[The Gamer]

Re: The Magic of Baseball and What it Means to You?

Grew up in Springfield, IL, considered the Mason-Dixon Line for the Cubs and Cardinals rivalry. Lived in the "new" projects Brandon Drive until I was 9/10 years old. Used to play one on one baseball with my best friend/next door neighbor Kelly Berry in the courtyard in front of our building. Couple of teen age boys in the neighborhood would always come out and play catch and use me and Kelly for games of hot box on the sidewalk - lots of bruised knees and elbows trying to slide on the concrete. as the youngest of nine with a five year difference between me and the next youngest sibling, spent a lot of time at my three adult brothers softball games. This is when the baseball bug bit me more than any other sport. around 1973 we finally was able to get cable tv in our neighborhood and I saw the best thing I ever saw - Chicago Cubs baseball on WGN channel 9 from Chicago - On top of that used to see my first favorite Cubs player, Decatur resident, Bill Madlock advertising for the local car dealership in his blue pinstriped Cubs uniform, the best uniform in all of sports. my love affair with baseball and the Chicago Cubs was etched. Remember, this is Springfield, IL in the 70s, and while its considered the Mason Dixon line, it was probably more 80%/20% Cardinals/Cubs fan ratio. My dad never understood why I was a Cubs fans. His family was from Arkansas, his brother lived in St. Louis and the the late 60s Cardinals were synonymous with winning baseball and the Cubs were not, plus they had the some of the best Black baseball players of the time, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Dick Allen, Reggie Smith and Curt Flood.

Around the age of 7 I joined my first baseball team in the old Khoury League. I still remember bringing home the permission slip and begging my mom to let me join a team. My old man was all for it as he and his brother both played little league ball and my grandfather who I was too young to remember before he passed was a former catcher when he was younger in the 30s and 40s in Arkansas. Turns out at the first practice for my new team asked for a volunteer for the catcher spot and of course I jumped at it, knowing I would be involved in every pitch - I have to acknowledge that I was the only black kid on my team through all the years that I played baseball. As I wasn't a basketball fan, I caught hell from other kids in the projects for being a black kid playing baseball and not hoops. Being the only black kid around, I heard it from the other side as well. My teammates and coaches were cool as hell though and didn't treat me any different.

Around 1978 we moved out of the projects into a new house where I met some neighborhood kids who played baseball every day during the summer. It was cool meeting them as they introduced me to sandlot/pickup baseball. We would play on any open area we could find. The open field at the Pillsbury factory until we would get run off because the workers were worried about us hitting their cars, to the grassy area at Concordia with the big tree in the middle of the field. If you hit anything to the RF side of the tree it was an out and any fly ball past the tree was an automatic HR. This was my introduction to "Indian ball" as we called it and the great ghost man base runners. Playing with these neighborhood kids opened up another world of collecting baseball cards. Topps, Donruss and Fleer. that gum was nasty as hell but I spent so much time sorting and organizing those cards. I know doing rosters on The Show or any other video game baseball game was a continuation of sorting those cards and making sure each player was with their correct team.

As the youngest kid in the family, I was home during the summer by myself a lot - watching Cubs day games on WGN and keeping my personal scorecard of each game and then checking the box score the next day to make sure I kept score correctly. I'm sure this prepped me for when I started coaching my two sons from the time they were 4 y/o playing tee bal to when they were Pony league players at 13.

I played baseball through my junior year in high school with my best season being called up to varsity team my sophomore year after a great season on the JV team. My infamous claim to fame to let my older sister's husband tell it was being in the highlight reel on the local news station being struck out by one of the better pitchers in the area my junior year - Still my sophomore year in 1984 was still the highlight of all the years I played baseball. I led our team in HRs and batting average that warranted the varsity call up. Also 84 was my favorite Cubs season bar none - to see them make the playoffs for the first time after all those years will always hold a special place, probably even moreso than the 2016 World series team.

After graduating high school I messed around in a midnight beer league softball. Joined the army in 1990 and joined any base softball team I could join, always playing 2B trying to mimic Ryne Sandberg

Once my sons got to the age where they could play, there was no way I would leave coaching them to any other dad that was out there. My boys and teams always played hard in there in hose community up here in the Chicago area (yes, part of the reason I moved from Springfield to the Chicago area was to be able to get to Cubs games more often). Nothing gave me more enjoyment than coaching my sons and their teammates for all those years. We were always playing in the semifinals or finals every year with our last Pony league team winning the 14U championship. So glad I was able to experience that with my younger son. both boys went on to play high school baseball through their senior year and they still appreciate the game well into their 20s now.

Well that's enough typing, but thanks for this thread Armor. Nice going down memory lane in my head. Count me in as a Show 25 pre-order - I just cant help myself.

[Ghost Of The Year]

Re: The Magic of Baseball and What it Means to You?

Well….it means that if some dope didn’t invent the curveball I coulda been a star.

No, if you batters hadnt been able to hit my fastball, I coulda been a contender, I coulda been somebody. STELLA!!

[Instant C1a55ic]

Re: The Magic of Baseball and What it Means to You?

Baseball has been more than just a game to me—it’s been a lifelong passion, filled with unforgettable moments and personal connections. My love for the professional side of the sport truly took off during the legendary 2004 ALCS, when the Red Sox staged their historic comeback against the Yankees. Down 3-0 in the series, they refused to quit, battling back to win four straight and ultimately breaking the "Curse of the Bambino." That series showed me the heart, resilience, and magic that baseball can bring, and from that moment on, I was hooked.

Baseball has also been a big part of my life in ways beyond just being a fan. I had the incredible experience of working at Coors Field as a Dippin’ Dots vendor, getting to see the game from a whole different perspective. The energy of the crowd, the smell of the ballpark, and the excitement of every pitch made it more than just a job—it was a front-row seat to a sport I love.

From witnessing history as Todd Helton crushed 49hrs, to being part of the ballpark experience, baseball has given me memories I’ll never forget. It’s more than just runs, hits, and wins; it’s about passion, perseverance, and the community that comes with it.

Baseball isn’t just something I love—it’s something that runs in my family. Four of my kids play the game, and seeing their passion for it makes my love for baseball even stronger. Watching them step onto the field, putting in the hard work, and experiencing the highs and lows of the game reminds me why I fell in love with it in the first place.

I know firsthand what it’s like to be out there, giving it everything you’ve got. I played for three years in high school as a catcher and first baseman, and those years shaped me in so many ways. The grind of practice, the thrill of a clutch hit, the bond with teammates—it all left a lasting impact on me. Now, getting to share that love of the game with my kids is something truly special.

Baseball has always been about more than just wins and losses. It’s about resilience, teamwork, and the moments that bring people together. From watching the Red Sox make history to working at Coors Field to now cheering on my kids, baseball has been woven into so many chapters of my life—and I wouldn’t have it any other way.





Sent from my SM-F946U using Operation Sports mobile app

[LastActionHero]

Re: The Magic of Baseball and What it Means to You?

Being from Holland, ending up playing baseball is not the most common thing to do. 99% of the boys here end up playing soccer, because well it’s not only the most populair sport in Europe but therefore also the only sport you can make serious money in. You got great youth programs to combine the sport with education etc.

Baseball here is mostly played on mediocre fields and the sport is mostly an after thought here. So yeah we sometimes make some waves with the Kingdom of the Netherlands team at the WBC but that’s 90% because of it’s constructed of players once born in the Caribbean.

We lived close to one of the better clubs in the Netherlands and when the wind was blowing in the right direction we could hear the crack of the bat and the announcers speak in the garden. After my mom once took me and my brother to the field to try it out it appeared we could swing the bat pretty well. After that (we were like 7-8) the next 15 years was all around baseball. Me and my brother separately made it to the Dutch national youth team and played all over Europe, played the youth world cup in Japan and went to America. We both didn’t get scouted but kept playing at home. My brother still does to this day (he’s 45).

I visited a lot of major league ballparks but I never forget the first one at Fenway Park. Coming in early and the whole place around Fenway was just buzzing. Watching Big Papi during BP hitting the Green Monster was something special. I myself don’t play the game anymore but I still love to watch it and our family will always be one of the rare ones in Holland that don’t watch soccer but will come together to watch the World Series.

[TarHeelPhenom]

Re: The Magic of Baseball and What it Means to You?

I've always loved, and always played sports, and out of all of them, baseball was my first love. Two men were influential in that...my dad and Dale Murphy. My dad played travel softball when I was a kid, and I would go with him to his tournaments on the weekend. I would meet kids at those tournaments and we would play cup ball(IYKYK) or if there was an empty baseball field we would play our own games of baseball. I would envision myself playing while watching my dad play and would eventually play Little League. I had the time of my life playing little league. The smell of the equipment, wearing helmets with pro team logos on the front...wearing the uniform pretending to be a pro...can't explain it. I never had those types of feelings towards any other sport I played. My career ended after Little League(a story for another day), but my love for the game has always remained.

Dale Murphy...the greatest baseball player to ever live in my mind. I'm from North Carolina, and we would get all Atlanta Braves games on WTBS with Skip Carey and Pete Van Wieren. I watched every Braves game that I possibly could. That included the lean years in the 80's. It didn't matter if they lost because I got to watch the best Center Fielder play each and every night...Dale Murphy! The Braves are my favorite team because of him. I use to pattern my hitting stance after his, my swing after his, pre-swing motion...the whole nine. Til this day, he is still my all-time favorite athlete regardless of sport and it's a travesty that he is not in the Hall of Fame. Nobody can tell me different lol!

Lastly, I'll add this. While I enjoy the modern game, this is what baseball is to me...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U2aDoXcepoo?si=_k7CV8IViFS_ENFC" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>


San Diego Studios are you listening? We need different eras in The Show please!

[Armor and Sword]

Re: The Magic of Baseball and What it Means to You?

I've always loved, and always played sports, and out of all of them, baseball was my first love. Two men were influential in that...my dad and Dale Murphy. My dad played travel softball when I was a kid, and I would go with him to his tournaments on the weekend. I would meet kids at those tournaments and we would play cup ball(IYKYK) or if there was an empty baseball field we would play our own games of baseball. I would envision myself playing while watching my dad play and would eventually play Little League. I had the time of my life playing little league. The smell of the equipment, wearing helmets with pro team logos on the front...wearing the uniform pretending to be a pro...can't explain it. I never had those types of feelings towards any other sport I played. My career ended after Little League(a story for another day), but my love for the game has always remained.

Dale Murphy...the greatest baseball player to ever live in my mind. I'm from North Carolina, and we would get all Atlanta Braves games on WTBS with Skip Carey and Pete Van Wieren. I watched every Braves game that I possibly could. That included the lean years in the 80's. It didn't matter if they lost because I got to watch the best Center Fielder play each and every night...Dale Murphy! The Braves are my favorite team because of him. I use to pattern my hitting stance after his, my swing after his, pre-swing motion...the whole nine. Til this day, he is still my all-time favorite athlete regardless of sport and it's a travesty that he is not in the Hall of Fame. Nobody can tell me different lol!

Lastly, I'll add this. While I enjoy the modern game, this is what baseball is to me...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U2aDoXcepoo?si=_k7CV8IViFS_ENFC" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>


San Diego Studios are you listening? We need different eras in The Show please!

Era Mode would be a dream come true. Awesome video Tarheel!!!

Some great posts in here......keep em coming!!!

[eric7064]

Re: The Magic of Baseball and What it Means to You?

It all began in 2003 for me as a young 8 year old who didn't understand a single thing about baseball.

Everyone was buzzing about the Cubs in the playoffs, and I could care less. I only cared about Pokemon and Power Rangers. My parents caught up on the excitement let me stay up late and watch the NLCS games, and that began my love of the game. I asked so many questions, I even vividly remembering asking "What is an RBI"? Although 2003 did not leave me in heartbreak as a new fan, I was hooked forever.

By 2004 I dropped my Pokemon cards for baseball cards and didn't miss any Cubs game. I would rush home from school to watch the last few innings of any 1pm start. I became obsessed with the game and my own family started calling me "Rain Man" because I could spout off stats like the back of a baseball card.

It really began my love of sports as a whole, the same year I began watching the Bears and the Irish with my dad, and became even more invested. As the years go on, and as I get older, I realize my love of baseball grows every year. There is nothing like it, and opening day is my absolute favorite day of the year.