Why Baseball is Like Life
The 2017 Cleveland Indians’ baseball season left me feeling blue, and a bit let down. This year the Tribe took us to the heights of victory and celebration, and then dropped us into the pit of misery. To many, it was inconceivable that such a storied season would end with such a thunk. Or maybe it’s best to say it was one of those moments in Cleveland sports we’ve come to believe is inevitable: defeat and the perennial chant of “Wait until next year”. But to me, baseball is like life. The drama, the characters, the rules of the game, the analytics, the unexpected, the terminology, all apply to life as well.
Let’s start with the characters in the drama. There’s something about baseball that brings out downright quirky characters. Perhaps it’s the long season and the 162 games, or the day in day out grind, that all conspire to make the players superstitious, ritualistic and prone to eccentricities. Take Cleveland Indians’ manager Terry “Tito” Francona who, during the August-September 22 game win streak refused to take a call from a long time friend because that friend’s calls so often preceded an upcoming loss, he didn’t want to jinx things. Or, last year Mike Napoli restarted the film Major League’s scene of sacrificing a chicken to the baseball god Jobu (don’t worry: no real chickens were harmed in the ritual!). Maybe it’s the prayers that are said by Francisco Lindor (looks like the Hail Mary to this Catholic), while he stands respectfully during the National Anthem. The characters in baseball are diverse too, from the many Hispanic players on various teams, to African American players, Caucasians, Asians, Adoptees like Aaron Judge and Rob Refsnyder, to German ballet descendent, Max Kepler...the teams are diverse in terms of race, religion, geography and culture. The quirky characters, the superstitious, eccentric behaviors and diversity all reveal a cross section of real people we know and/or grew up with in life.
Then there are the rules and terminology of the game. Can you think of any better idea than the home run and the metaphors of reaching first, second, and third base? How many times do we describe a situation as only reaching first base, or someone having three strikes and they’re out? In California, the three strikes and you’re out idea was even codified into California statutory law. I bet all American parents have one time or another, told their kids that they have one strike left before they are “out”. But this is also like life because while we do strike out, right around the corner is another “at bat”. Another chance.
How about the term “curve ball”? If life throws you one, you never saw it coming. How about the idea of the sacrifice fly or bunt? I once heard a priest give an entire homily on the sacrifice fly. The idea was that the sacrifice fly is a perfect metaphor for how we should approach life: we should lay down our lives for the benefit of others for the betterment of the common good (the team). There are errors, passed balls, balks, and other terms that are easily translatable into life. An error means that the other person can’t benefit by earning a run batted in...which is about fairness. A passed ball means you let an opportunity to catch something slide right past you, and you are held accountable. If you balk at something, you fail to go full force and refuse to commit but if you fooled someone else into thinking you were going to commit, shame on you.
Baseball is a game of analytics. I should know, as I am one of those people who enjoys keeping score as a bit of a hobby. You can kind of guess what is going to happen based on the law of probability. If a scouting report says a hitter will chase a fast ball but can’t hit a curve ball for anything, the likelihood is that the hitter will probably do exactly that. But kind of like life, every once in awhile something funny happens, and the hitter doesn’t chase, and then gets a pitch he likes and hits it to Lake Erie. This suggests that while life is somewhat fixed by our aptitudes and attitude, it isn’t a done deal.
And finally, baseball is a game of endurance and fortitude. It tests you in ways you can’t imagine. It also is a game of luck...wind blowing into the stadium, wind blowing out, humidity, the dirt on the warning track, the grass on the field...all these variables mean that timing is everything. Just like in life, a 22 game winning streak, if started too soon, may mean that the streak may not stick around for the playoffs.
And as the baseball season comes to a close, and Tom Hamilton has now signed off until Spring Training, I’m reminded that in baseball, just like in life, we all get a fresh start, with no mistakes in it. After all, it’s only 164 days until Opening Day! Go Tribe!
Copyright Protected/Owned By Monica L. Miyashita, Esq.
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