What is your favorite sport? My answer may be surprising to some people. I grew up in a community where basketball, football, and individual games were more embraced than the game we call the national past time.
Many things have been said about the game of baseball. To many, baseball is a boring game. Baseball is too strenuous to watch. Baseball season is 162 games with four rounds of playoffs before crowning a champion. Baseball is a game that lasts for approximately three to four hours a day. Baseball is a game with no action. Baseball is a game that doesn't involve real athleticism. Baseball is a dying game. Baseball is a game that isn't engaging. And the list goes on..
Background
Listening to the game on the radio was always a passion of mine growing up. It was actually more of a necessity. Back in the 90's, it was common for households to not subscribe to cable television. I grew up listening to the radio and occasionally watching Giants and A's games on TV once a week. Instead of ESPN and Fox Sports Net, I had KNBR 68, Jon Miller, and Ted Robinson. Growing up, I collected baseball cards, inserting them into protective sleeves and binder collector albums. I was that kid who became overly excited about purchasing a pack of cards at the local store. The card shows at the mall were like theme parks to me- it was my escape, my Disneyland. I became infatuated with the statistics of each player and looked forward to receiving the local sports page to check on every box score from the night before.
It may be surprising to many, but I grew up as an Oakland A's fan. The team was stacked in terms of talent led by Canseco, McGwire, Henderson, Stewart, and Steinbach. Something changed after Canseco got traded during the summer of 1992. The team slowly lost its confidence suffering a devastating playoff loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993, and Oakland instantly dismantled their team shortly after. My family took me to Candlestick Park for Giants games, the team still had stars in Will Clark and Matt Williams, and they signed mega superstar-Barry Bonds.
High School Years AKA the Barry Bonds Years
Barry Bonds was a player who can do it all and in my opinion was the best player of our generation. Bonds was a five-tool player in the 90's- who hit forty home runs and steal forty bases in one season, and was a regular gold glove outfielder during his prime. People forget that Bonds' signing saved the Giants from moving to Florida and his presence swayed ownership to build a ball park near China Basin in San Francisco. As many kids do, they lose their passion for baseball card collecting and move onto other things. As technology expanded, I became more interested in online fantasy baseball. Fantasy baseball was a place for me to apply my statistical knowledge and use that knowledge to build winning virtual lineups. As I began to harness my fantasy skills, the Giants started to become consistent winners, reaching the playoffs and being competitive from 1997-2003.
Post-Bonds Era
Slowly, suspicions of steroids surrounded many of the game's best players. The Mitchell Report was released and players started to clean up their act. Today, you won't see 60-70 home run seasons or Alex Rodriguez hitting routine home runs to dead center field. My team began to change their identity and brand of baseball. Long gone were the Bonds', Durhams', Kleskos', and Tuckers' in the world. Those players couldn't run, couldn't hit for average, and were below-average defenders. In came up-and-coming stars named Lincecum, Cain, Posey, and Sandoval. These players laid the foundation for the Giants who played the game the right way. Lincecum was worth the hype, Cain was the horse of the rotation, Posey was a star the instant he arrived, and Sandoval was an up and coming switch hitter in the middle of the lineup. Most importantly, none of these players were linked to using steroids.
Modern Day
San Francisco has won two World Series titles this decade. Would I still love the game without the Giants' titles and prestige? Absolutely. In some ways, the game has made me a third and fourth level thinker. Hence why baseball has always been intriguing to me. In other sports- athletic ability, natural talent, and first level thinking can lead a team to victory. While having talent certainly does help, it doesn't necessarily win you titles. I enjoy thinking about what the next baseball move will be- a runner trying to go from first to third. Hit and running on a 3-2 count with 1 out. Placing an infield shift on the most dangerous left handed hitter in the game.
The great thing about opening week is that every team has a chance, every fan has a dream, and it's never too late for anyone to learn the nuances of the game today.
