America's love affair with baseball

By Clay Allen Sports Central Columnist

America's support of baseball is somewhat puzzling. After all, baseball isn't the most exciting sport. The league has been trying to shorten the game for years. Players rarely have a chance to run and games frequently end with fewer than five runs.

We forgave the players quickly after they sat out half a season because millions of dollars wasn't enough. We sit through one hundred degrees of heat day after day. Why does baseball still pull in hundreds of thousands of fans day after day? I thought of a few explanations for America's love affair with baseball:

1. Baseball is summer. When the season starts, summer is here. And lucky for us, baseball extends summer for a few extra weeks each year. We can delay fall by watching playoff games well into October.

2. The manicured lawns of baseball fields are our American dream. Those of us who live in high-rises or run-down neighborhoods see the field as our lawns. Baseball stadiums are our suburbs. One day, we too will move out of the city and tend to our own lawns. Even more so today -- as stadiums become more elaborate and more luxurious -- we see these diamonds as an obtainable future. These ballparks are our country clubs.

3. Baseball players are our blue-collar workers (they even strike). They work for hours in the drain of the midday sun. Their skin is tan and their brows are sweaty. They work everyday. Not just on Sundays or in the cool confines of an arena. We know these players because they are our neighbors and our friends. And they work until they are old. At 40, Rickey Henderson is still running the bases. Satchel Paige played at 50. In other sports, you get your retirement check at 30. Give me a break.

4. Baseball is a good old-fashioned bar fight. Basically, you have two guys going at each other one on one (the pitcher versus the batter). Then again, your buddies are always right behind you to give you a hand.

5. Baseball is life. As long as you are quick and sly enough, you can grab an extra base or two. If you let your guard down or get too greedy, you could loose what you worked for.

7. Baseball games instill family values. While other sports are too unaffordable, most ballparks still offer bleacher seats. You can take your kids and your wife and catch up on the past few days. All you need is $20 bucks. You'll probably see your best friend and his wife there, too.

8. Where else can you get true American food? Ballpark hotdogs, greasy pizza, french fries, cotton candy, peanuts, and a cold beer. The rest of the world would be jealous if they knew the quality of food we hide at baseball stadiums.

If it's summer time in America, you can guess where the country's attention is turned. And rightfully so. Baseball is America's pastime.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.