A Malat Musing: The Love and the Awful Longing for Baseball

There is a sense in which we all identify with baseball. That is the best way to summarize my passion for the game. So many more can say it so much better than I can.

“Baseball is so woven into the American past…it has a history in this country as long as the Republic itself.” George Will

“It is about time and timelessness….it is a haunted game, where each player is measured by the ghosts of those who have gone before.” Ken Burns

Ken Burns

“It is played everywhere. In parks and playgrounds and prison yards. In back alleys and farmer’s fields. By small children and by old men. By raw amateurs and millionaire professionals. It is a leisurely game that demands blinding speed. The only game where the defense has the ball. It follows the seasons, beginning each year with the fond expectancy of springtime and ending with the hard facts of autumn.” Ken Burns

During its long hibernation the longing for the game is immeasurable.

“The old game waits under the white.
Deeper beneath frozen grass;
Down at the frost line – It Waits.
To return when the birds return.
It starts to wake in the south where its never quite stopped;
Where winter is a dose of hibernation.

The game waits gradually;

Furthering a figure to itself as the day’s lengthen late in February - And grow warmer.

Old Muscles grow limber – young arms throw strong and wild

Clogged vein systems and veteran oaks and leftfielders both unstop themselves putting forth leaves and line drives in Florida’s March.

Migrating North with the Swallows;

Baseball’s winter grasses first green

enter Cleveland, Kansas City and Boston.”

Donald Hall (1928-2018)

Speed And Grace

“…It is about… speed and grace, failure and loss, imperishable hope, and coming home." Ken Burns

Most American men have played baseball and thus most American males are failed baseball players. The game is steeped with failure. The most successful teams in 2023 lost between 58 to 62 games. Yandy Diaz the American League batting champ failed 67% of time at the

plate. Luis Arraez the National League and reigning baseball batting champ failed in 64% of his at bats. Much of our success in life comes from knowing how to deal with failure. Every kid should play baseball if for no other reason than it introduces them to failure and indelibly itches in their minds how to deal with that imposter.

There is VERY little bravado heard from those who play the game. Players understand that there is a very fine line between success and failure. What we find instead is humor that teaches us not to take ourselves too seriously.

“They broke it to me gently. The manager came up to me before a game and told me they didn't allow visitors in the clubhouse.” Bob Uecker

“Baseball is 90% mental the other half is physical.” Yogi Berra

“A man once told me to walk with the Lord. I told him I'd rather walk with the bases Loaded." Ken Singleton

When Casey Stengel was fired by the Yankees because they said he was too old to manage, Stengel said; “I’ll never make the mistake of turning 70 again.”

“I never took the game home with me. I always left it in some bar.” Bob Lemon

“Little League baseball is a very good