What makes baseball special?

[nyisles16]

Just curious as to what makes baseball, since today is Opening Day, so special?

for me, there a a few reasons why I love the game:

- no restrictions to overall "time of game"
- smell of hotdogs in the air
- the "symbolic" timing of the seasons co-ensides with baseball (starts when the weather turns warms, ends when it cools off)
- the uniquness of all the stadiums (unlike football, basketball, or hockey)
- smell of a new leather mitt
- kicking back with a brew on a hot summer night catching a game on either TV or XM radio.
- memories of playing catch/ball with my dad (really loved that!).. also, playing ball with my bros & my buddies in the back yard..

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: What makes baseball special?

Pretty much the same as you. Baseball is just special, always will be.

[Sandman42]

Re: What makes baseball special?

Everything you said, but I'll add:

- the chess match between the batter and the pitcher.
- when your at a baseball stadium, nothing beats walking out of the tunnel to your seats and seeing the field emerge as you walk out.

[Graphik]

Re: What makes baseball special?

Nothing beats a hot summer day at the park. With a few brews, a braut and a nice section of fans to be around. The game seems to go 20x faster with no commentary or commercials and all of the little unique scoreboard trivia, flashbacks and games between innings keep you occupied.

Forgot to add, the chants, the hecklers, seeing a fan favorite player smack a dinger out the park amist a entire chorus of chants: priceless.

[Easton]

Re: What makes baseball special?

So far, everyone has pretty much summed up my feelings as well. The sights, sounds, and smell of the ballpark can't be beat.

[The GIGGAS]

Re: What makes baseball special?

I like it because it's a marathon. Just because you come out of the gates on fire doesn't mean you're going to be a great team all year. The fact that there are tons of streaks, both hot and cold, is just great. I love the grind-it-out feel that baseball has.

[Stoud]

Re: What makes baseball special?

Honestly, nothing gets me going more than an amazing play -- whether it be a dive by the shortstop to stop a ball, pick it up, and throw his runner out, or whether it be an outfielder giving his all, or a catcher holding onto a ball as a runner railroads into him -- that's what I love the most about this game.

[Jistic]

Re: What makes baseball special?

The greatest thing about baseball is what happens between the plays. No other major sport allows you digest what's going on in the game you're watching.

Some call it borring....to me it's refreshing.

[chippered]

Re: What makes baseball special?

All of the posted above. The smells and sounds of the game. The way it looks. I'm not ashamed to say I get misty eyed when the season starts, watching the cubs opener, or even last night watching the Mets/Cards, whom I dont even like. I just love the game, whether its high school or pro. The feeling of walking up the tunnel into a stadium to see the field, it takes my breathe away.

[GP Mercy]

Re: What makes baseball special?

Although I don't have a particular team that I love, I enjoy the statistics that are in the game. Pitcher vs. Batter duels are exciting. Trying to get that batter to "bite" on a slider/changeup...so intense. I love it!

[TheMatrix31]

Re: What makes baseball special?

And all of this is why baseball is my favorite sport.

[sportsdude]

Re: What makes baseball special?

Of course everything that has been stated above. But I also think of a love of baseball is perpetuated if you actually played the sport. I mean, to know the feeling of converting a double play, beating a throw for an infield single, throwing a runner out at a base other than first, connecting perfectly on what was the pitcher's best pitch...I mean I could go on, but I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about.

Without having played baseball and knowing what those things are like, it may not be the same for me. Seeing the top players in the world do it never ceases to amaze me.

[SPTO]

Re: What makes baseball special?

Baseball has tradition that no other sport comes close to having. The optimism of the early season is something that isn't manufactured due to parity because for years (before the last 10 years) people basically knew who were gonna be good and who were gonna suck but hope always sprung eternal. The relaxing nature of the game is a throwback to a simpler age.

Then you have stats...i'm not a stats but baseball is one sport where the stats actually mean something.

[BAMJ6]

Re: What makes baseball special?

MLB, as i'm much more exposed to it than the college game

1. No time limit, it doesn't end until the last out is made
2. The fact that no one else in my immediate family enjoys it like i do, yet it's extremely popular (the same for the 2 big college sports)
3. Every player on a team is important at some point of a season, especially World Series champions.
4. The weather has a real effect on games (the other 3 sports rarely postpone or delay games due to bad weather)
5. Double the regular season games of the NBA and NHL, and 10 times of an NFL one, Good for all but the pathetic teams as it makes for a LOOOONNNGGG season
6. It's a truly international and racially balanced game. 40.5 percent are not white, and a third of all players are foreign born. The other 3 sports are imbalanced with a strong black majority in the NBA and NFL, and the NHL is permanently white.

[Spectre]

Re: What makes baseball special?

Baseball is a thinking-man's game. The battle between pitcher and hitter is just a joy to see.