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
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?
David Gonos
David Gonos spent 5 years as a CBSSports.com Senior Fantasy Writer and three more years writing with SI.com. Over the past 17 years, his work has been published on NFL.com, MLB.com, FanDuel, FoxSports.com and USA Today. Since 2001, he has been tracking down the Top 50-plus Free Fantasy Football Draft Tools online. You can contact David Gonos here.
Foul balls
Getting booed for dropping a foul ball
Griffey
Rally Caps
Sunflower Seeds
Baseball Digest
Jim Abbott
The Green Monster
Spring Training
Daniel Dobish obscure triple-A reliever player updates!
Very nice! My faves were "getting booed," Jim Abbott and Dobish, haaaa. Well done. The Abbott one reminds me of Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown, and Antonio "El Pulpo" Alfonseca.
Gonos! this wasnt a miss... but did you did misspell one. Its spelled Heroes not Villains...
37. Sports’ greatest HEROES: The Yankees
Haha, and to think I grew up a Yankees fan in the '70s and '80s. Bleccchhh!!!
watching a knuckle-ball pitch not spin and go in a random motion
Missed this comment earlier -- excellent call! A knuckleball pitcher defies everything we know!
View Comments
Foul balls
Getting booed for dropping a foul ball
Griffey
Rally Caps
Sunflower Seeds
Baseball Digest
Jim Abbott
The Green Monster
Spring Training
Daniel Dobish obscure triple-A reliever player updates!
Very nice! My faves were "getting booed," Jim Abbott and Dobish, haaaa. Well done. The Abbott one reminds me of Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown, and Antonio "El Pulpo" Alfonseca.
Gonos! this wasnt a miss... but did you did misspell one. Its spelled Heroes not Villains...
37. Sports’ greatest HEROES: The Yankees
Haha, and to think I grew up a Yankees fan in the '70s and '80s. Bleccchhh!!!
watching a knuckle-ball pitch not spin and go in a random motion
Missed this comment earlier -- excellent call! A knuckleball pitcher defies everything we know!