Every April, Chicagoans perk up along with sports fans across the country. And it’s definitely not the bizarre lake-effect weather that awakens us.
Rather, baseball—whether you are a Cubs fan or a White Sox fan—brings us back to life. It could be that the season represents a new beginning, like a do-over of what we didn’t get right from New Year’s resolutions. Though there might be more to it than that.
It’s no wonder baseball is America’s national pastime (sorry, football). If you think America is a land of opportunity, equality and abundance, then baseball explains a lot about who we are and try to be. It corresponds to our needs as free people and everything to which we aspire.
True, baseball was not designed by the Founding Fathers, and that leather-string ball didn’t come from Betsy Ross. Yet tenets central to democracy pop up continuously.
All are created equal
Baseball does not require you to be tall or fast, nor supremely fit. If you hit well, throw well or have other skills, nobody cares if you’re a natural athlete. Running is involved, but only so much.
Moreover, economic background and social stratification are largely irrelevant. Many of the best players in the majors come from some of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere.
And sure, most of those who play at the elite level of baseball are superb athletes, but compared with sports such as football and basketball, both of which generally require height and brawn, baseball’s barriers to entry aren’t so written in stone.
International roots
Baseball is more than just a game. People from many parts of the world come to the U.S. seeking out baseball. Countries such as Japan, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Panama regularly send their best to the majors, while Canadians and even the occasional player from Europe drop in to make their mark.
Everyone gets their turn
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In football, only the chosen few like quarterbacks and receivers get real quality ball time without stealing it. In tennis, your opponent tries their best to keep the ball in play but out of your reach. But in baseball, you get your share and get your crack. Everyone gets an at-bat.
Free speech reigns
In baseball, you can feel free to talk smack in the field or chirp, “Hey, batter batter,” to distract the sorry soul at the plate. Talk continuous trash in basketball and you might get a technical foul (ask Russell Westbrook). In soccer, what you say might get you head-butted in the chest (see: the 2006 World Cup). Getting thrown out of a baseball game often requires shoving an umpire.
Freedom of assembly
Baseball brings out the best in those who play and love the sport, as well as the fans who watch the game both in large stadiums and astride neighborhood diamonds just about everywhere. Never mind that when St. Louis is in town you can’t get tickets to Wrigley or the Cell because Cardinals fans snatch them up. That’s freedom of assembly, and the power of open markets!
Not bad for a national pastime
One of Finland’s best-known national pastimes is the sauna. Don’t tell them “sauna” isn’t technically a sport. Afghanistan’s national sport, buzkashi, is a sport. But instead of a ball, players toss around a dead goat (really!). And France? You could joke that its national pastime is wearing berets and smoking.
But we shouldn’t make too much fun of the French. They were a willing ally during the American Revolution, giving us a big pat on the back when our new, free nation needed it. France even gave us the Statue of Liberty in 1886 to celebrate and commemorate liberty. And, perhaps, better than anybody, they realized that people everywhere basically want the same things: freedom, a chance to play and a little personal space.
Even as a competitive endeavor, baseball is one pastime that gives you all you need.
Andy Frye is a RedEye contributor. @mysportscomplex