Sunday, April 28, 2024

America's Pastime

 


The reading for my baseball class goes deep into the weeds.  What keeps it interesting for me is when I step back and admire the man-made evolution of what once was (and still is, for some) "America's Pastime."

How baseball progressed from a playground game among friends to a professional sport gives up many ideas that can be applied elsewhere.  Pragmatism was the overall philosophy when setting up the structure and rules. Various ways of playing were adopted and standardized.  When flaws were discovered,  the rules were changed.  Sometimes it took awhile, but flexibility and cooperation prevailed.

And today, baseball is staying true to its pragmatic tradition.  The shorter games are enormously popular.  The fans are filling the stands.

I'll leave the stats to my classmates to enjoy while I ponder the beauty of a game well played.

2 comments:

  1. Indeed, the greatest game, in part because some of the players look like regular men. When will a woman break the gender line?

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  2. I mentioned to my classmates that surely at this point the White Sox could use a woman. If Bill Veeck were around, he'd know what to do.

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