Repetition and Variation
Baseball is all about repetition and variation. A baseball game is essentially a series of three hundred pitches or so. With each one, the primary pieces start anew. The pitcher takes the mound. The catcher gives the sign. The batter steps into the box. It's done over and over again. If each iteration were the same and produced the same result, it might grow boring, but it's the minor variations that make the game beautiful. Different batters, different pitchers, different men on base, different possibilities. With each pitch, a stitch is sewn. Over a season, patterns develop and stories of individuals and teams and legacies and dynasties are woven together. Baseball has a balance of order and chaos, skill and chance, repetition and variation. It's a wondrous thing to watch and another reason why I love the game.
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Well said, David. Another thing about baseball is it remains relatively unpredictable. Who picked the Angels to win it all in 2002? Most people didn't even consider them the best team in the AL West at the start of the season. Who picked the Marlins in 2003? And who picked Bston in 2004?
I was just thinking last night that another thing that makes baseball great is that you can turn on the television and, if you have cable, find a game going on somewhere. I love that.
It also occurred to me that we're going through a new golden age of baseball. New ballparks, relatively good relations between owners and players, attendance is dramatically increased, lots of colorful players fans can root for, etc. If baseball is close to reaching its zenith, its nadir can't be too far away. Anyway, that worries me from time to time.
It is great how unpredictable the game can be. For all of its statistics, trends and rules of thumb, it still has plenty of surprises. The last three World Series winners are definitely evidence of that. Numbers on paper don't dictate the outcomes, but at the same time, they can give us a hint as to what's more likely to happen.
The fact that one can catch a baseball game at almost anytime on cable sounds like an incentive for me to get cable. :D In the meantime, I love that I can listen to any archived game off the web for the season. Gameday Audio is pretty sweet that way.
As for a new golden age of the game, I think that's especially true with regards to the new ballparks and the increased attendance. At the same time, baseball is a game that values its history, so it's sad to see teams abandon those famous old parks. If the sport can get its act together about how to deal with the issue of steroids, I think this current age can last for some time.