50+ Reasons Why Baseball is Awesome

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All we’ve heard about for the past couple decades was how steroids have ruined baseball. Don’t believe it! The game is still great. People try to tell you its boring, but it’s not — it’s a cerebral game that leaves room for discussion between each pitch. It leaves room for banter and appreciation of every single event. In this age of instant gratification, it’s a game that teaches us patience and rewards us with bursts of power and speed.

I’ve recently amended this list to add some great reasons why baseball cards are the most awesome, too!

Here are 50 (or so) reasons why baseball is awesome – even if some are long behind us.

1. Upside-down mini-helmets filled with ice cream
2. The suicide squeeze
3. Wooden bats
4. Suddenly, left-handed people matter
5. The seventh-inning stretch
6. Managers running out onto the field to argue a call
7. Fifty or so baseballs end up in the stands (fouls and homers) during every ballgame as souvenirs
8. The 5-4-3 double-play
9. Dents on the Green Monster
10. Roll call in the right-field bleachers at Yankee Stadium
11. Tommy John surgery
12. “42” Jerseys on Jackie Robinson Day
13. Different dimensions in all stadiums
14. Sausage races
15. The physics of the curve ball
16. 1971 Topps Thurman Munson
17. Yogi
18. Bob Costas
19. Fathers/Mothers and sons/daughters enjoying a game together
20. Its place in civil rights history
21. Little League
22. If not for baseball, we’d have to watch tennis in the summer.
23. Closers’ entrance songs and hitter walk-up music
24. Catch against the wall
25. Chin music
26. Playing catch with your Dad/son
27. Peanuts and hot dogs taste the best here.
28. Ken Burns
29. A triple
30. Fitted caps
31. The stories about Harry Caray, Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin, Bill Lee, Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth
32. Topps All-Star Rookie Cup
33. 56
34. Spring training
35. 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr.
36. Bloopers on “This Week in Baseball” with Mel Allen
37. Sports’ greatest villain: The Yankees
38. Buck O’Neil
39. First baseman’s split
40. Pesky’s Pole
41. The sacrifice bunt
42. Old stadiums with trough urinals
43. The walkoff home run
44. Bowman 1st
45. The ivy at Wrigley Field
46. Mound ball
47. Nicknames like The Splendid Splinter, The Say Hey Kid, Charlie Hustle, Pudge, Sho Time, Polar Bear and El Nino
48. Visiting team’s homers returning to the field in Chicago
49. Rotisserie
50. Gem Mint 10s
51. The Sandlot
52. Vintage
53. 1975 Topps
54. SPs
55. Home Run Derby
56. Rated Rookies
57. Junk wax
58. Dominicans
59. Gold parallels
60. Billy the Marlin
61. Mad Dog Chris Russo
62. MLB Tonight
63. Different dimensions for each stadium
64. Games. Every. Single. Day.
65. Three-game series
66. Ichiro & Shohei
67. Bunting (both on stadiums and on the field)
68. Patriots Day early baseball
69. Mr. & Mrs. Met
70. Stirrups
71. McCovey Cove
72. 7 No Hitters by the Ryan Express
73. Stealing home

Did I miss anything awesome?