All About America's Favorite Pastime

Creative writing in baseball makes me realize the effect a sport can have on someone's life. Many people play sports when they're younger but do not continue into adulthood. For many, sports such as baseball allow people to reflect on their childhood, a time of more innocence. We see this as a common theme in fiction stories of baseball, such as "Death of a Right Fielder" by Stuart Dybek. The way the kid describes the death shows his innocence and lack of understanding for the real world. In Toby Wolf's "Bullet in the Brain" the man reflects on baseball in green fields in his final moments. Sports provide a mental happy place for people. Since I played basketball growing up, when I am older I will look back on my times playing as some of the best of my life. The other aspect brought into fiction writing of baseball is the ability to escape reality. While playing or watching baseball, or any other sport, we allow ourselves to stop thinking about the troub

Pivotal Point As I sat along the third base line The sun peeked above the Budweiser sign Stands filled with blue hats and jerseys In support of the home team The grass was freshly cut  Allowing the field to produce an eye catching design Like rays shooting out from the rainbow arc of the diamond With that the stage was set for the Cubs vs Marlins game In the middle of it all wearing black Was Marlins pitcher Trevor Richards He stared down Kris Bryant at home plate As Bryant glared back at him Only being the second batter of the game Bryant felt pressure to set the tone As Richards wound up for the first pitch The fans sat in anticipation Moments later The crack of the bat hitting the ball Erupted through the ballpark In seconds that noise was replaced By fans cheering The ball soared like an eagle above the trees Over all the outfielder's heads Into the bleachers above left field This marked a Cubs Home Run And the first run of

Baseball has more unwritten rules than any other sport in America. It is considered a game of sportsmanship and respect in the eyes of many. In order to maintain this image, players follow many "unwritten" rules. Trash talk is frowned upon, flipping your bat after a home run may get you punched, and celebrating with more than a smile makes other players hate you. In other team sports such as basketball, football, and hockey, celebrating is encouraged. NFL players have pre planned routines for when they get into the end zone. When I played basketball in high school, celebrating after a big three or or and one in the fourth quarter often served as a spark for the team. I understand why baseball is not the same as the other sports when it comes to celebrating, however, I think removing the unwritten rule that excludes celebration could make the game more exciting. As stated in Barry Petchesky's "Down with Baseball's Fun Police", there is no joy, no emotion, and