Why I Love Baseball, Part III

This week at the MLB winter meetings Greg Maddux announced his retirement. As a baseball fan in general, looking at the statistics, you realize very quickly the greatness of "Mad Dog". As a Braves fan I had a direct interest in paying close attention to his career. Greg Maddux was the best pitcher I ever saw (arguably the best pitcher in history), but his greatness was not as a result of superhuman athletic prowess. Maddux was a master craftsman; he used perfected skill and brain power to execute success. He is a terrific example of another reason I love baseball. Although Greg Maddux was a good athlete, he didn't use his physical attributes to propel his success. Baseball at it's best is a game of routine skill. Often the best athletes in the game are not the best performers.

That reminds me of a story I once heard about John Kruk, former Phillies first baseman, who tells of an encounter he had with a lady on the street. As the story goes (and my memory of when I heard it), a lady recognized him as they passed on the street. Kruk was a big, burly guy and he happened to be smoking a cigarette. Surprised he was smoking, the lady asked him why since he was an athlete. He quickly responded, "I'm no athlete, I'm a professional baseball player."

I love baseball because it is a skill sport. Throwing, hitting, pitching, and fielding are all mechanical skills that can be developed even among those who cannot run fast, jump high, or who lack superior physical strength. Just about anyone can play baseball regardless of athletic ability. Those who are most successful are the ones who have trained their bodies to move and respond in a certain way so as to participate in the action of the game itself. Of course the combination of trained bodies and refined skills attached to peak physical attributes allows the player to advance to the upper levels.

It's fun to watch these skills in action. Base stealing isn't about speed, it's about timing the pitcher and getting a jump. To steal a base is to master the crossover step and to read the incoming throw in order to prepare for the most advantageous slide. Hitting isn't about body strength and how hard the bat is swung. Hitting is about pitch recognization, balance, and quickness to the ball. To hit a baseball is to see the movement of the seams as the ball approches and then to move the hands through the zone in as quick and short a motion possible. Pitching isn't about how hard the pitcher thows the ball. 96 mph and straight is easier to hit than a 89 mph pitch with movement. Pitching is about keeping the batter off balance and guessing. To pitch is to control the ball by manliputing the speed and location in the strike zone.

I had the opportunity to play baseball at the college level and it was a thrill. I think one of the reasons I enjoyed playing so much and why I became such a fan was because I worked my way onto teams. I was always the smallest and slowest guy on the team but my skills continued to develop. Playing baseball required hard work but it was possible because I was willing to practice and develop the necessary skills. All I can say is that I held my own. Truly I wasn't a very talented player but I played, not because of any athletic ability but because of a few skills that I was able to learn. I had fun.