The Religion of Baseball

Some people tell me I have an unhealthy addiction to baseball. I don’t know about that, I just love the game. People have different things in their lives that bring them joy, mine is baseball. That is why I chose to pursue a career in the game, because I wanted to work in a job that I love.

Some people choose to work in baseball for just the pure fact that it’s a job. Then there are people like me that can’t get enough of it and would live at the field given the opportunity.

It’s tough on me to be away from the game this season; however being away makes me think about how much I love it even more. Despite all the scandals that happen at the big league level with steroids and contract disputes, working in the Minors has really made me appreciate the game even more.

Baseball really has become a religion for me and the stadium like my church.

I usually would be one of the people that got to the ballpark early because of my job, having to prepare the media notes for the day and get ready for the broadcast. Often times I would get there at eight in the morning but I loved it because there is nothing better then smelling the fresh cut grass of the infield or hearing the rhythmic sound of the sprinklers as I ran around the warning track for an early workout.

Getting to the ballpark early in the morning not only served to give me some much needed alone time, but it was also like going to church before the crowd and choir got there. You could just take it all in, think, clear your head and reflect. It also allowed me to get my work done relatively early because then I could be at the field when the players got there.

For anyone that has ever been in an empty church listening to the choir rehearse and hearing every note reverberate around the empty walls and echo through the halls, that is the best way to describe being at a ballpark in the afternoon for early hitting.

Every crack of the bat is echoed throughout the empty grandstands. You get to hear the sound of the ball hitting the bat, the sound of the fielders’ glove popping when catching a ball. The crunching sound of players cleats as he runs around the infield dirt. The clanging sound the weighted donut makes around a baseball bat and the laughter of players and coaches talking about previous games.

It’s a beautiful thing to see and hear.

As the day goes on and the gates open up, the church starts to fill up. Just as beautiful as the sound of a choir playing in an empty church is, it’s just as magnificent hearing the loud organ pipes and entire congregation singing in unison.

That’s how it is during a game. The stands are packed, everyone cheering for a single to left, or an RBI double down the right-field line or if you are lucky, a majestic two-run homer to win a game.

It really is true there is nothing like the sights, sounds and even the smells of the ballpark.

For me day baseball was the best, especially when it seemed like God himself was smiling down watching the game and awarding the lucky faithful with a day full of endless blue sky. The smell of the burgers and barbeque drifting across the air along with the smoke from the grills really painted quite a scene.

It is summer at its best and truly makes a day at the yard one of the best places to be.

I know there are a lot of individuals that work in the Minors for the sole purpose of making it to “The Show.” That is what I wanted; work for the Cardinals in my home town of St. Louis has always been a dream. However, for me it seems the Minor Leagues are just so much more pure.

Those big cathedrals in the city sure are nice, but it’s being in the small country church that really makes you feel at home.

Good luck to all my friends and colleagues working in baseball this year and enjoy another summer under the sun.