So if you’ve read any of my work here on BaseballBanterBroadcast.com, it is obvious that I love the game of baseball.

My love of the game of baseball goes beyond my allegiance to my favorite team, the New York Yankees. My passion for the game spreads across 29 of the 30 Major League teams. I could never love the Boston Red Sox, except for my love of seeing them lose.

As a baseball fan, I watch a lot of games from all thirty Major League Baseball teams. I watch to see how teams are doing. I watch for individual players. I watch to see how certain trends are going in the game.

But my love for the game doesn’t stop at the Major League level; I watch Minor League games as well. Mostly, I keep an eye on the New York Yankees ‘ minor league affiliates, where I keep an eye on prospects and/or rehabbing players. I watch some college baseball and softball games as well.

What makes the game so special to me is a number of different factors; there’s the history of the game, the strategy behind the managerial moves, or lack thereof. Baseball is special to me because of the athleticism of the players and some of the incredible things seen on a nightly basis while watching so many games. There is the simple, seeming nature of what is genuinely the hardest thing to do in sports, which is to hit a round ball, with a round bat, squarely.

Part of the allure of the game is when the players at the MLB level make difficult plays look routine. It gives us fans the false sense of yea I could do that. But when we attempt it, we just look foolish.

My Connection to Baseball

I never played baseball in high school, and if time travel were possible, I would change that. However, it is not possible, so sense in harping on it. I did, however, play for five years in a Men’s Slow Pitch Softball league. And despite having some talented players, we couldn’t seem to get it together and win anything. Sadly, the league we played in no longer exists.

That desire led me to make a “somewhat” annual softball game with my family. It’s been a few years since the last one; however, it had been a fun once-a-summer experience. Though not enough baseball for me.

So I turn elsewhere, and that means playing MLB The Show for hours on end. I live out my vicarious hopes and dreams of playing shortstop for the New York Yankees every day on my PlayStation 5.

The game of baseball brings up memories for everyone. Memories of the history we have witnessed as fans. Memories of past loved ones who imparted the game to us. The game of baseball can stretch across many generations. And the game is filled with many talented players who are exciting to watch. While the game has started trending in a dangerous direction with the three true outcome players, the game still possesses a level of skill that will keep me and many others like me watching.

Being a New York Yankee fan has made my baseball-watching experience pretty easy over the years. In the time that I’ve been watching Yankee baseball, they have won five World Series. I know that I’ve been blessed to have witnessed World Series wins for my team. However, the current sixteen-year drought has felt much longer. Because in the Bronx, successful seasons are measured in championships, at least by the fans, anyway.

So hopefully I have made my love of the game of baseball evident. The game is at a critical junction as far as the potential next generation of fans. But as a diehard baseball fan, I will do my part in trying to further the fandom of future generations of this beautiful game.