Swing and a miss...

I decided to take a little break and write about baseball for a moment. Enjoy.




I've become increasingly sad over the last couple of years. Something I love and hold dear to my heart is starting to fade away. The quality, the structure and the overall love of it is being destroyed. And I'm not sure who to blame or how to stop and/or change it.

Think back to when you were younger. It's either gym class or just after school. You're standing against a fence with a group of other kids who are gearing up to play baseball. You're so excited because you love the game so much! And one by one, each team keeps passing on you. And you've been playing baseball for many more years than most of the kids against the fence. You're skilled better. You can run faster, pitch really well, have great hand-eye coordination, and can catch. You're an awesome, competent, talented ball player who's fun to watch and always give the true baseball fans an amazing show of what the game should be.

But for some reason, they keep picking the younger kids, the scrawny ones with no muscle, the kids who can't throw and have no idea how to handle themselves on the field. And the girls. For SOME reason, no matter how bad they are at the game, they keep choosing the girls. And it's just a fact...most of the time, girls suck at baseball.

Why would they do that? Why would they choose the players who obviously can't play?! Why would they purposely want to use less-than-great players? It's only going to make for a terribly boring and frustrating game!

I can't assume how long this has been going on, but I know it won't end any time soon.

And now, sadly, the fans can't tell the difference anymore. The game has become the same to them whether their team is full of real ball players...or girls and wimps. They stumble, strike out, and foul constantly. Doesn't matter...the team captain and the fans forgive them. As if they haven't done anything wrong.

They sometime take steroids to help and sure...now they LOOK like real pitchers and catchers...but still don't possess any skills. They have all the fancy uniforms and people shouting for them, but there's no improvement on the inside. They don't have that special something that makes you really love the game. Most of the players nowadays are coasting because...they don't have to get any better. They don't practice pitching or exercise at all to improve. All they have to do is keep getting picked from the fence...and their job is done. Go out there and play a shitty game. Who cares? They'll be looked at just the same as someone who worked very hard to get onto that field.

And I don't think I'm asking for much. I would just like to see a baseball game the way it used to be played. Years and years ago before everyone thought they could just pick up a bat and be recognized. Before everyone thought they had that "special something." I want to enjoy a game...not be enraged by it.

So who's to blame? The team captains for picking bad players? The fans for not demanding better players? Or the players themselves for even thinking they can step onto the field?

I will say I'm not involved in the sports industry at all. I have no idea what goes on in the mind of a captain. All I know is that I can't watch a game anymore without being a little sadder each time. I can't watch a game anymore without noticing that the catcher is not standing in the right place; that the batter is holding the bat upside down; that every player is almost struck out or runs way too slow; or that the really great players are benched the entire game.

Maybe football is the way to go now...