Columbus Day – Every life is filled with discoveries, such as
finding new friends, learning new subjects, and pursuing new
interests. Discovering baseball is a rich experience. It goes
beyond simply finding another sport, such as hockey or
basketball (which are worthy in their own ways). In first
becoming aware of baseball, you have made a life-long
friend of a sport that has the richest of histories, going back
a century and a half. Love adventure? Baseball! Love human
achievements? Baseball! Love statistics? Baseball. Love
artistry … and so many other human endeavors and
accomplishments that you can relate to and attempt in
the height of your athletic prowess, to its own extent?
Then baseball reaches out to you with a warm embrace
and enfolds you to its existence. You have discovered a
friend who will offer you decades of a range of emotions,
from disappointment to exhilaration, a soulmate who will
always be within your reach and grasp, and your life will
be ever the richer for it.
World Teachers’ Day – Your writer and guide through
these holidays was a teacher for 58 years, so he knows
teaching when he sees it, and instruction is a big part of
baseball, from the Little Leagues through the Minors and
Majors. Coaches exist to instruct batters, pitchers, fielders,
base stealers. Teammates point things out to each other when
finishing an unsuccessful at-bat or just talking in the dugout.
Players learn from watching tapes to standing around the
batting cage. Even fans, with their shouts and reactions, let
players in on obvious non-secrets. There is no player so
talented or accomplished that he cannot learn something
new from someone who watches with unclouded eyes.
Halloween – Costumes? No fantasy garment is more beautiful
than a baseball uniform, with its coordinated colors, numbers,
letters and images. Treats? Okay, they’re not free in the ballpark
but they are constantly offered (for a price), and the home-
bound fan should be well stocked to complete the sensual
experience which is a big league baseball game. And what
could be more hallowed to the fan than a game – except
a double-header?
THE POETRY OF THE GAME