A Simpler Look Why Baseball is Popular
For many people not addicted to the game, loving baseball may be something short of insanity. For them there is no fun in watching grownup men chase a small ball, thrown or whacked by another grown-up man who obviously wanted the ball to go beyond the reach of others. But for baseball aficionados, it is the greatest game in the world, even immortalized in small pieces of cardboard called baseball cards. Most treasured are Topps baseball cards, those simple memorabilia of the great men of baseball, complete with the batting statistics, names, signatures and other data so dear to the hearts of baseball fans.
But why is baseball so popular? The first is because it is a spectator sport. Since it is played in a large area, it can be viewed by many people. Even if viewing is limited to the number of people who line the periphery of the baseball field, the number is still great. Contrast that to, say, chess, and you get the idea. If only a percentage of the number gets truly interested in the game, the actual fans will be more numerous. One irrefutable proof is the super-large stadiums mainly for staging baseball games.
Second, baseball is an action sport. There is much action, but usually in flurries, so the viewer is not overwhelmed. A spectator can actually follow the movement of the important players as they fly around the bases, throw the ball, or run home to score. But breath-taking, split-second action occurs fairly regularly, enough to get many addicted to watching the games. Furthermore, the game is very simple to follow, the players easily seen, winning and losing readily understood.
Next, it is a game of heroes. The guy who bats the ball to outside the field and score successive homeruns is a hero. The pitcher who consistently outs his batting opponents is a hero. The outfielder who catches the fly ball that flew against the sun is a hero. Anyone who makes a home run against great odds is a hero. They can be rare, true, but they are there and you need to watch the games to see them.
Baseball is a multi-player game, from two persons to 20 or even more. It is versatile enough that from two players one as batter, the other as pitcher and fielder it can accommodate to as many as desired, as long as the field can hold them and everyone agrees to the set-up.
Then, it is a game for everyone. For all ages, any status, from all walks of life: there is no discrimination or prerequisites. A son, a father or a grandfather and all the others between and all family sides can enjoy it at the same time, in the same stadium, for the same reasons. It makes for great bonding, not only for family members but for friends, neighbors and even strangers.
Last, it is a game of skill, guts, willpower and physical abilities, all of which we hold ideal for ourselves and thus in others, too.
Connor R Sullivan recently sold his old baseball cards to a collector for a nice profit. He purchased online topps baseball cards to add to his son’s card collection.