An Open Letter to Non-Baseball Fans

Dear People Who Aren't Baseball Fans,

I am not writing to you today to force my beliefs upon you. I believe that everyone is able to think for themselves and make their own choices. I'm not writing to question your sanity, wonder what is wrong with you, or act like you are stupid for not liking baseball. No, I am writing to you today to open your eyes to the greatest game on Earth.

I feel that a lot of people who are baseball fans were born with it in their blood. It's a game of tradition with a rich history, one that you never stop learning from. If one has a grandparent who has loved the game their whole life, they most likely passed it down to that child's parents. Their parents probably then took them to their first ballgame, sat them on their lap while explaining what the purpose of a sacrifice bunt is.

But then again, some might not have been born with it. Some become fans because of recent success that their local team is having. There's nothing wrong with that. It doesn't matter when you become a fan, it's whether or not you're there through thick and thin.

So why become a fan? No single game is the same. You can see the Yankees smash the Red Sox by a score of 13-1, and then the next day they're playing in a 2-2 tie until the 14th inning. Every day there is a chance for a new hero to shine. It could be the All Star first baseman or it could be the minor leaguer getting his first taste of The Show.

Since you're not a baseball fan, you've probably heard that it's a boring game. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you've been hearing lies your entire life. Baseball is not boring. In fact, it's far from it. When the bases are loaded in the bottom of the ninth and the home team is down by 3 runs, is that boring? Is it boring when a pitcher is hitless going into the 7th inning, and the reality of a no hitter is slowly becoming more real? The fans know it, the teams know it, the announcers and the pitcher knows it. It's a universal feeling of anxiety, hanging on to every pitch until the final out - or the first hit.

If you think the season is too long, I say it's not long enough. 162 games and yet, it could all come down to one. 162 chances for teams to separate themselves from each other in the pennant race, yet it could end in a one-game playoff.

You might be a football, basketball, or hockey fan. Each sport is exciting and unique in its own way. Each game is timed, so maybe if the team is able to kill some time or just hope that they can make it to the end without blowing it, they can win. Not in baseball. Every team gets a fair chance to win. You can't hold onto the ball until the buzzer. There's no easy way out when it comes to baseball.

Baseball is a game of fun and it is a game of statistics. It can be debated to death. There's nothing like watching the manager run out onto the field to argue with the umpire, defending his players like they're his sons. There's nothing like watching a player like Pablo Sandoval or Prince Fielder leg it out for a triple. If you think you've seen it all, you haven't.

Baseball is relaxing on a lazy summer afternoon while you fall into your normal routine. It's rooting on your favorite team, no matter how good or bad of a season they're having. Baseball is waiting through a rain delay for 3 hours, because even though there's 162 games in a season, it'll ruin your day if one gets cancelled. Baseball is the feeling of hope and agony, simple yet complex. It's when you can't help but give a standing ovation to a player like Jim Thome when he hits his 600th homerun, no matter what team you affiliate yourself with.

Most importantly, baseball is love. It's the love you feel for your favorite players and favorite team. It's the love you feel when you go to the ballpark and soak it all in. Baseball is the kind of love that can torture you or give you butterflies. There's no love like the love baseball fans have for baseball.

If you're not a baseball fan, I can't make you become one. I can only hope that you realize what you're missing out on. Don't worry, baseball will always be waiting for you.

Love,

Lindsay