Keeping an open mind to baseball

Published 10:01 am Tuesday, February 23, 2016

The general assumption surrounding sports writers is their minds are a working encyclopedia of every sport played, down to the minute details of league MVPs dating back to the creation of said sport.

Truth is, some writers have more knowledge in one or two sports instead of an amalgamation of all.

For me, the sports I’m most comfortable writing and following are basketball, tennis and football, which leads to a flaw I’m anxious to fix on a sport I’m looking to eschew past judgment and embrace.

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With the median age of consumers actually tuning in to watch games at about 55-years-old, baseball has simply lost touch with many millennials and this problem is here to stay for the distant future. Baseball’s core fan base is heading into retirement and needs to attract fresh blood.

Personally, a major reason I was turned off to professional baseball, and subsequently the sport itself, is because of the tortoise-like pace of the sport and the conditions required to advance the game.

Ironically, the amount of racism, classism and performance-enhancing drugs that have riddled professional baseball since its inception is why I enjoy covering sports for the larger societal reflection it gives off.

Jackie Robinson would be the popular instance people think of when someone broaches this topic, but it was alarmingly prevalent last season and widely unnoticed.

Bat flipping and the intensity from mostly Hispanic and Latino players sparked a number of bench-clearing incidents from the mostly white congregation of players who felt “America’s favorite past time” was being disrespected, regardless of the fact of it drawing in younger fans and brought excitement to the game.

No professional sport is free from demons. The NBA had a drug issue in the early 1970s and later instated coded regulations for dress in the 2000s. Currently the NFL has a problem of domestic abuse and disciplining players charged with crimes against women.

Nevertheless, as baseball season approaches I’m excited to learn the logistics of the sport. Baseball has been the one sporting entity I’ve fairly judged but wrongly given a chance to be great and prosper for its authenticity.

A homerun is a beautiful thing to watch and so can a turning three outs when executed properly. It’s just the plays leading up to those precious moments where casual fans or those looking to give the game a shot lose attention.

The impact a player makes when precisely swinging his bat at the ball to produce the cracking or metallic sound as the ball soars freely in the wind is a classical note in that player’s in-game aria.

I’ll step up to the plate and swing at comprehending and appreciating the game for what it’s worth as I’ll be face to face with a long-time foe.