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.
- Upside-down mini-helmets filled with ice cream
- The suicide squeeze
- Wooden bats
- Suddenly, left-handed people matter
- The seventh-inning stretch
- Managers running out onto the field to argue a call
- Fifty or so baseballs end up in the stands (fouls and homers) during every ballgame as souvenirs
- The 5-4-3 double-play
- Dents on the Green Monster
Roll call in the right-field bleachers at Yankee Stadium- Tommy John surgery
- “42” Jerseys on Jackie Robinson Day
- Different dimensions in all stadiums
- Sausage races
- The physics of the curve ball
- 1971 Topps Thurman Munson
- Yogi
- Bob Costas
- Fathers/Mothers and sons/daughters enjoying a game together
- Its place in civil rights history
- Little League
- If not for baseball, we’d have to watch tennis in the summer.
- Closers’ entrance songs and hitter walk-up music
- Catch against the wall
- Chin music
- Playing catch with your Dad/son
- Peanuts and hot dogs taste the best here.
- Ken Burns
- A triple
- Fitted caps
- The stories about Harry Caray, Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin, Bill Lee, Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth
- Topps All-Star Rookie Cup
- 56
- Spring training
- 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr.
- Bloopers on “This Week in Baseball” with Mel Allen
- Sports’ greatest villain: The Yankees
Buck O’Neil- First baseman’s split
- Pesky’s Pole
- The sacrifice bunt
- Old stadiums with trough urinals
- The walkoff home run
- Bowman 1st
- The ivy at Wrigley Field
- Mound ball
- Nicknames like The Splendid Splinter, The Say Hey Kid, Charlie Hustle, Pudge, Sho Time, Polar Bear and El Nino
- Visiting team’s homers returning to the field in Chicago
- Rotisserie
- Gem Mint 10s
- The Sandlot
- Vintage
- 1975 Topps
- SPs
- Home Run Derby
- Rated Rookies
- Junk wax
- Dominicans
- Gold parallels
- Billy the Marlin
- Mad Dog Chris Russo
- MLB Tonight
- Different dimensions for each stadium
- Games. Every. Single. Day.
- Three-game series
- Ichiro & Shohei
- Bunting (both on stadiums and on the field)
- Patriots Day early baseball
- Mr. & Mrs. Met
- Stirrups
- McCovey Cove
- 7 No Hitters by the Ryan Express
- Stealing home
Did I miss anything awesome?
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