Tonight should be one of the most widely-watched baseball games of the 21st century.
Probably #1 if I had to guess, but precision’s not my business so who knows.
It creates such a unique experience for literally everyone.
We’ll be watching so I’ll focus on that perspective.
But it certainly applies to the players, staff, umpires and everyone in between.
There’s pressure behind every pitch.
A leadoff walk is gonna send you to one side of the spectrum.
An 0-2 base hit is gonna do the exact same.
You’ll actively judge Mark DeRosa and complain about the American pitchers that sat out.
That’s the point of this blog.
I’m here to pay my respects.
162 regular season games.
Another two dozen exhibitions in the spring.
Maybe another dozen+ more if you’re lucky.
60-something different men will wear your team’s uniform at some point this season.
And along the way, you’ll forget more than you could possibly remember.
It’s a torturous sport, no doubt.
That we’ll get to skip work in October to watch a 3pm Division Series playoff game.
That we can watch playoff games with family and loved ones and compete for a championship.
The club’s success forces you into offseason attention along the broader narrative of pursuing a championship.
The examples of personal futility in this game are boundless.
But we’re only scratching the surface.
You think it’s hard watching the Pirates lose 98 games a year?
Try being the Pirates utility infielder hitting .210 in his only 40-something career games.
Or the backup catcher competing for fan recognition no different than a middle-of-the-pack beer vendor at PNC.
The point I’m trying to make before tonight’s massive game is that most of baseball kinda sucks.
That’s not overly controversial.
Most of it’s standing around, waiting for something else to happen.
There’s a whole bunch of stuff I love about it personally.
But objectively speaking, so many in and outside the game are utterly disenfranchised.
You only give a fuck when the stakes are this high.
Football gives you the two minute drill.
The field goal as time expires (YEAH I REMEMBER CODY).
The clock’s turned 0 as the ball gets snapped and you gotta score/defend a touchdown.
Those are great fuckin moments.
Late onside recoveries and strip-sacks on 3rd and long.
I’ll keep giving examples if you’re slow but you’re not.
You’re with me on this.
Basketball is self explanatory especially this time of year.
Same shit with the Stanley Cup Playoffs and overtime.
Baseball’s unique in that all of our moments are individually isolated with limited interference.
There’s no clock or timeout strategy coming from the bench.
you’re free to’t play keep away or back into a win.
And whilelineup constructionhas become nearly-automated, all in-game personnel adjustments are formal and final and SLATHERED in pageantry.
And here comes Tito with his first bullpen move of the night…
Cue the hand-picked walk-out music for both pitcher and then batter.
“Has surrendered 9 of last 10 inherited runners.
Loves to cook.”
Everyone gets such a spotlight with all the custom bells and whistles that come with the sport.
Each pitch carries it, few deliver.
It’s gonna be awesome, and we may not get this taste again for months.
Sure the Braves and Mets can say what they want.
Cubs and Cards, Yankees and everyone else.
We can complain about that shit later.
For now I just wanted to share a word with you guys that this is one of those nights.
This is one of those games.
