Presumably, most others here know (or at least suspect) that I am a fan of George Will. He is exceedingly cerebral. Very few others--perhaps Rich Lowry, Richard Brookhiser, and the late William F. Buckley Jr.--can compare to him, in this regard. What many may not realize, however, is that Mr. Will is an avid baseball fan--to phrae it as mildly as possible. In fact, on several occasions, he has mused that he does politics just to support his baseball habit. (His 1990 bestseller, Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball, stands as a tribute to this fact.) A recent interview with his fellow conservative, Hugh Hewitt--as regarding his latest book, A Nice Little Place on the North Side: Wrigley Field at 100--makes for a very good read. Following are a few of Mr. Will's comments from this interview: Mr. Will does note, however, that there is an upside to being a Cubs fan: One is really never disappointed, since one always has very low expectations--even in those (rare) years in which the Cubs appear to be faring quite well. The entire interview is remarkably good (albeit rather lengthy). For those with the extra time necessary to read and fully disgest it, here is the link: Not An April Fools' Joke: Tribe Wins Opener With A Shutout And George Will On Bud Selig And The Commissioner's Job « The Hugh Hewitt Show
As an avid baseball fan, having actually played the sport in high school and adding the final trinity of Baseball appreciation...a St. Louis Cardinals fan..I still find enjoyment in the game. The problem is, to a generation raised upon instant entertainment at the click of a mouse, controller or remote...baseball is a slow moving, non-action game that is losing younger fans. Kids don't play it as much, they are into snowboards, skateboards or the more traditional action sports basketball and football. Baseball is in dire need of speeding up game play and investing in Little Leagues to re-energize youth into being both participants of and fans of, baseball. My experience is that if you played the sport as a kid, you will carry this into being a fan of the sport as an adult. For example, those in more Northern climates had a local pond that froze over and they'd lace up a pair of skates and play hockey. My guess is, they grew up and remain fans of ice hockey. Same holds true for soccer and basketball...easy access to a ball, a field and a court. It used to be baseball was played on sandlots across the country feeding future generations interest in the sport through adulthood. Not to sound like a geezer, but modern children have a vast supply of routes in which to invest their entertainment time and money. It seems electronic games have replaced going outside and pretending like you're a big leaguer with the local neighborhood kids. To sum up, baseball is in jeopardy of becoming a 2nd tier sport as a generation reaches adulthood having had no sentimental attachment to the game..and newer fans to the sport are bored silly of it quickly, missing the nuances associated with someone who appreciates the subtleties of the game of baseball. (end of rant)
Actually, I do not view your words as a "rant" at all, but a quite reasoned analysis. Mr. Will sees the slowness of baseball as its principal virtue: Each pitch is dependent upon the previous pitch, and upon the current ball-strike count--not merely an independent entity, anymore than a chess move is independent of the current board position and relative strength of the opposing sides. In a similar vein, I very much like professional golf--including the PGA Tour, the Champions Tour (formerly the Seniors' Tour), the LPGA Tour, and the European Tour. But you are quite correct: This is a minority sentiment. And increasingly so, given that many young people (understandably enough) would much prefer a fast-moving sport (such as basketball), a collision sport (such as football), or both (such as ice hockey). Oh, by the way: You are not the only "geezer" around here; nor should that be a source of shame. For the record, I am 66 years of age (and not especially bashful about saying so). And George Will, for whatever it matters, is rapidly closing in on 73.
On tonight's Special Report on FNC, George Will repeated a joke (which I had never before heard). It goes like this: Question: What do the Chicago Cubs and the Miami Marlins have in common? Answer: Neither has ever won a World Series in its new ballpark.
