It's the Greatest Game Ever Played

Were in an era, where baseball is being pushed to the back burner. Were in an era, where arguably the greatest three players of our generation have used performance enhancing drugs (Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez). Were in an era, were America’s pastime, is being overlooked by the National Football League, College Basketball, and quite possibly even the National Hockey League. Were in an era, where quite possibly the greatest game ever played, is slowly losing its popularity, slowly losing its tradition, and slowly losing its prestige.

However, despite all this, we can not forget what the game of baseball truly means to the American people. We can not forget that baseball was every boy’s first love. We can not forget that baseball is poetry is motion. We can not forget that unlike any other sport, baseball is a chess match, a game of one’s wit pitted against that of another’s. We can not forget that baseball is America’s pastime.

It’s more than just a game. It’s more than just two teams battling it out for nine innings. It’s more than a pitcher versus a batter and a fielder against a live ball. It’s Jackie Robinson, ignoring the death threats and racial slurs, while breaking the color barrier. It’s Cal Ripken, ignoring the aches and wounds, to play 2,632 consecutive games. It’s Bob Lemon, backing a hitter off on a 1-2 count with a brush back fastball, just to come back and strike him out on the next pitch with a slider on the outside of the plate. It’s Carlton Fisk, waving the ball fair in game 6 of the 1975 World Series. It’s Tori Hunter, flying above the fence, to make a game changing catch and steal a home run. It’s Don Larsen tossing a perfect game in the World Series. It’s Reggie Jackson, establishing himself as Mr. October. It’s Joe DiMaggio and his 56 game hit streak. It’s the greatest basketball player of all time (Michael Jordan), hanging up his sneakers, to try and fulfill a childhood dream. It’s Greg Maddux, winning four consecutive Cy Young’s, without having a fastball that can even hit the 90’s. It’s a 5 foot 6, David Eckstein, winning the World Series MVP. It’s Manny being Manny. It’s the all-star, lights out, closer versus the cleanup hitter with the game on the line. It’s Brooks Robinson, the human vacuum cleaner, winning sixteen consecutive Gold Gloves. It’s a 42 year old rookie named Satchel Paige, giving it his best. It’s 40,000 plus fans showing up on Opening Day to cheer on a franchise that has ten plus consecutive losing seasons, because one day a year, there team is tied for first place. It’s Babe Ruth, calling his own shot. It’s that 38 year old catcher, in the minor leagues, still giving it his best, just to one day get a shot of making it to “the show.” It’s the Tampa Bay Rays, making it to the World Series, with a roster full of kids barely old enough to rent an automobile. It’s Murderer’s Row. It’s the Green Monster. It’s the crack of the bat. It’s the double play. It’s the suicide squeeze. Its rally caps and silly superstitions. It’s a walk off homerun. It’s baseball, it’s the greatest game ever played, its America’s pastime.