The Brand of Baseball

It's Sunday. In my household during the summer season it usually means one thing; baseball. I am currently sitting at Sawmill Park in Glen Burnie at the moment, watching my boyfriend play catcher. I'll be honest, I had a few other topics I was interested in discussing with this blog post, but I believe when you feel inspired, go with your gut. Between my dad's mid-life crisis involving taking on the game of baseball, his new found love for the game, and me being in a relationship with an Orioles fanatic, I have not only learned so much about the game, I have come to respect it much more.

If you play a sport competitively after high school and college, it's probably because you love it, right? That's why Chuck still plays. He has been playing since he could say "play ball", knows all of the Orioles players, plays 3 times a week in the summer, and gets super excited when he has double headers. But there is so much more than playing the game and loving it. I played softball for fun through middle school and high school, I didn't love it, but it was enjoyable (hence why I play soccer now and not softball ;). As I have been sitting here, I have been thinking about the image of baseball and what it means (to me, at least). I start asking myself, how did baseball become America's past time? And when you think of a baseball game, why do you think of innocence? Sunflower seeds... a father and son eating a hotdog with baseball caps on... the national anthem... dirt and grass stained pants. Such classic images, right?

A brand is all about what you think about something and the way it makes you feel. In order to develop that brand, it takes time and experiences in order to grow that emotion and attach it to whatever. My experiences with baseball have been pleasant ones. When I was little, I remember sitting in Camden Yards right behind first base thinking it was SO COOL that Cal Ripken jr. was number 8 and I was 8 years old; it was like we had a special bond (but I was weird and in hindsight, it was just a coincidence). Also, memories of walking down the (safe) streets of Baltimore with everyone else decked out in black and orange, grabbing the bag of peanuts before entering the stadium, screaming "CHARGE!", and getting super excited when my dad would buy me cotton candy. And how can you not think that a tiny kid in a little league jersey running to home plate with the huge helmet bobbling on his head isn't the most adorable thing in the world?

But what about how the sport is portrayed when you're not at a game or playing? Other than getting into the politics about Major League Baseball and the rivalries, (since I hardly know anything about that...only that the Yankees are evil), it's interesting to see how the sport is portrayed in various medias. When you watch movies, the characters are always having a good fun-spirited time a at a baseball game. On tv, baseball highlights are diving catches and home runs while the players appear as super heros. During the summer, it feels like there is a major league game on at every bar.

It's the images and experiences such as these that give me a content and happy feeling when I think about baseball. The atmosphere, the spirit of the players, the patience of the game, and the memories I have sync together to create my personal opinion of my baseball brand. To me, it's a cultural thing, a Baltimore thing, and an American thing. Let's go O's!!