Top Ten Reasons Why I Love Baseball

Top Ten Reasons Why I Love Baseballso excited. I was so happy she delivered.
1 The Ultimate Challenge7 I love all of the statistics.
Hitting a round ball with a round bat. The feeling IDid you ever see so many stats? Runs, RBIs,
would get when I hit the ball. Just think of a babyhits, doubles, triples, home runs, stolen bases etc.....
that is crying for food. When that baby gets herComparing eras, or comparing players. Duos like
bottle the first thing you hear is that ahhhhhBabe Ruth and Lou Gehrig - how do they stack
sound. Oh that ah. When I hit a ball perfectly Iup against other twosomes. Who had the highest
would have that ahhhhh.batting average in a three or four or five year
2 I call it Contentment at a high level.stint? So many statistics to choose form. It is
I played all the time when I was a kid. Some ofendless.
my favorite memories were from the diamond.8 A place to excel
When I hit two home runs in one game off theI loved taking a hit away from the batter. I felt
star pitcher form our High School team. I roundedgreat stealing a base. Why is it that stealing is bad
the bases in full view of our High School coach. Iexcept in baseball? My satisfaction was heightened
was glowing. When I hit a game ending home runby a solid hit. This was the best. Ahhhh. I
off Jay Klein.especially felt great rounding the bases after
He thought I could only hit singles. Rounding thehitting a homer. I think I know how Babe Ruth felt
bases of redemption was a another specialwhen he whacked one.
moment for me. When I broke up two no hitters9 My favorite team is the Yankees. Of all the
from the star, city league pitcher. I felt like I hadteams I root for in all the professional sports I
made the grade, and that was awesome.watch the Yankees are the only team that wins
3 Easy watchingon a fairly regular basis. All my other teams
I can sit in my favorite chair and root for Derekusually lose. It feels good when my team wins.
Jeter to hit one up the gap. Holding my breath10 I love the stories.
with every pitch delivered to him. Or, I can sit andLike the story Mickey Mantle tells of the time
read the paper and view the events of the gamewhen he first joined the Yankees. He was not
through the corner of my eye. Either way is okhitting well. His confidence was dwindling. After
with me.days of desperation he called his father when he
4 I am amazed by what Babe Ruth and Louwas playing near Oklahoma. Mickey Mantle was
Gehrig accomplished in their careers. I look at oldhoping his father would give him a pep talk. But
film footage, or read about either The Babe orwhen Muck Mantle got to the hotel room where
Larripin Lou and always feel awed by the bigMickey and the New York Yankees were staying.
numbers they both put on the board. From homeMuck did not give his son a pep talk. He did the
runs to RBIs to batting average to runs scored,opposite. Mickey's father told Mickey that he was
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig achieved over andthere to pick up his son and bring him home.
over again.Mickey's father said that he did not know he
5 Double my pleasure.raised a quitter. Mickey Mantle got the message.
I could play baseball and get a tan at the sameHe started to hit after his father left. He
time.attributes that meeting with his father as a
turning point in his career. I have heard Mickey
6 My sons played and my daughter still plays. IMantle tell that story a few times on tape or live.
have had the pleasure of sharing joyousWhenever I hear him tell it I am moved by
moments with my children. Times that I will notMickey's love and affection for his father.
forget. Like when my daughter got the game
winning hit against Fair Lawn High School last year.11 It is just the greatest game.
We won 1-0. I was jumping up and down. I was