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| Image by Racool_studio</a> on Freepik |
Attending a major league baseball game is a thoroughly American experience. It's also a unique game where the defense has the ball and that ball is often hurled at 100 mph.
That crack of the bat, the ball going up, up, up and the outfielder craning his head to the sky as he backsteps on the warning track while fans brace to see if he'll crash into the wall.
It's a classic sport with something to delight everyone. As spectators, we usually can forget about problems for a few innings. Or, at least we could.
Now, the MLB, its franchise owners, the players union, or some combination thereof, have joined the ranks of those in the NFL who thought it was a great idea to radiate political messages in giant letters in the endzone.
I hadn't noticed anything similar in professional baseball until recently. Just beyond the center field wall at Target Field in Minneapolis, one can see, actually one must see, a large sign blaring two words: "END RACISM".
First, exactly who are proponents of the Target Field signage going to influence? Put another way, who besides actual racists, would advocate for preserving racism? The intersection of sports and politics raises concerns.
For example, this practice could beckon all comers for equal expression. One day will we see a large "END WOKEISM" or "BACK THE BADGE" sign in the right field bleachers? I hope not, because overt political posturing -- whether Conservative or Progressive -- does not belong at sporting events.
All forms of injustice, including racism, are abhorrent. I salute those who fight injustice, but I also strongly believe that every citizen has a right to pay for and receive the pleasurable escapism of attendance at a sporting event (or a "Hamilton" performance) without intrusive political messaging.
Now, other recent changes to the game of baseball have been welcome and they involve no political expression whatever, so let's go there for a moment....
Many games were simply too long, but by adding the pitch clock, limiting trips to the mound for pitcher chats and implementing other measures, the MLB has effectively shortened the average game time, while preserving the experience for fans.
Most unnecessary delays involve pitchers in some way, shape, or form. Relief pitchers warm up in the bullpen, so why not reduce the amount of time they can burn after taking the mound before they face their first batter?
If the manager is going to call for that relief pitcher, why can't he just signal that from the dugout. His walk to the mound followed by on field discussion with the manager, catcher and a friendly pat on the back for the outgoing pitcher--which is followed by more mound chat--is unnecessary. Just zip Joe Reliever in golf cart directly to the mound and play ball!
Finally, let's keep home plate umpires, but use technology to perfectly call balls and strikes. Way too many strikes are called balls and vise versa. This change would also save time because no disputes over poor calls would ensue. Moreover, there'd be no more fan or player aggravation after witnessing those truly God awful calls that follow so many pitches.
Baseball fans vigorously debate changes like all of these, but they do so in the context of what's good for this sport that's lasted over 180 years. Such debates don't involve ideology or political party affiliation. Let's hope they never do.
