issue 29 // volume 40

sports // 19

Sport/Schmort: Baseball

» Take me out to the ballgame-—or ball-sport?

Natalie Serafini
B. Assistant Editor

pe Massistant

F @theotherpress.ca

 

Bee the classic game syn-

onymous with ‘Merica, hot-
dogs, peanuts, tobacco, cards,
and caps—but is it synonymous
with sport? It’s been long-un-
questioned as an athletic pur-
suit, though it’s largely known
for the viewers’ paraphernalia
(the aforementioned food and
accessories) and certain players’
misconduct (the infamous
A-Rod, Barry Bonds, etc.). That
long and noticeable lack ofan
investigation into baseball’s
merits comes to an end now.

Baseball play proceeds on

a complicated dance of strikes,
bases, and runs. Two opposing
teams take on either the batting
or the field positions. Those
who are “up to bat” must face
down the barrel of the other
team’s pitcher, and aim to
whack the baseball “out of the
park” for a homerun. Ifthe
batter fails respectably in this
goal, merely putting the ball
in play, they may still manage
to round some of the bases;
they’ ll wait at a base until the
subsequent batters get them
out of limbo and heading home.
If, however, the batter fails
miserably in this goal, they are

attempts—or strikes—before
they’re out and another batter
is called up to the plate. The
field team attempts to get the
batters out either by catching
their flying balls midair, tagging
a runner, or by throwing the
ball to a base before the batter
can round it. After three batters
are called out, the teams switch
field and batting positions.
Right “offthe bat,” it might
sound like baseball is indeed a
sport. Running, complicated
rules, competition, and balls—
what more could you want?
First off, the game is ardu-
ously slow, and when players
aren't up to bat, movement is
minimal. Occasionally players
in the field will be spurred on
toa chase and rapid fire tossing
of the baseball; otherwise,
field players stand and wait
for something to happen. The
catcher, who sets up shop
behind the batter, spends the
majority of the game on their
haunches. The pitcher’s main
role is to stand and throw a ball.
The batter is perhaps the only
one whose energy is seriously
exerted, as they must be ready
to bolt as soon as bat meets
ballin a swing of success—and

: on their asses either; chances

: are they're participating in

: that tradition so particular to

: baseball: cancer- and spit-in-

: ducing smokeless tobacco. The

: disgusting habit is a tenet of

: the game, although it should

: have left the field along with

: the brown-gummed players of

: yesteryear. Chewing tobacco

: has stuck around as long as it

: has because of the short list of

: benefits it provides, like relief

: from stress and anxiety, and an

: increase to both heart rate and

: blood pressure. I’m sorry, does

: this sound like a suspicious

: acceptance of performance

: enhancement to you? Maury

: Brown recently wrote a piece for
: Forbes questioning if smokeless
permitted an exact limit of three :
: from Major League Baseball;

: meanwhile, players are already

: prohibited from having tobacco

: packages on them when fans are
: inthe ballpark, or from chewing
: tobacco in pre-/post-game inter-
: views and at team functions.

: When the league has already

: been plunged into scandal over

: Alex Rodriguez’s alleged use of

: testosterone and human growth
: hormone, it seems bizarre that

: there is sucha widely upheld

: and undisputed use of possible

: performance enhancement.

: that baseball is more closely tied
: tothe culture behind it than the
: sport itself. You might suppose

: that this speaks to the “sport’s
: fan base, but I’m less convinced.
: It seems baseball is an activity

: steeped in tradition more so

: thanathleticism, between the

: long-held traditions of food and
: paraphernalia, the traditions

: of tobacco—and the tradition

: of viewing baseball asa sport

: altogether. Baseball may be

: ingrained into American

: culture, and embedded with

: practices so long-accepted that

: they're seemingly unbending;

: nonetheless, I don’t accept

: these pat pleas for legitimacy.

How can it bea
sport when, at any
given time, 8/9 of
the players on one
team are sitting on
their asses?

 

: even then, batters are only

: upto the plate one at atime,

: while the waiting batters sit

: onthe sideline. How canit bea
: sport when, at any given time,

: 8/9 of the players on one team

: are sitting on their asses?

They aren't just sitting

tobacco might be banned

There’s also the earlier fact

7

 

eh

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