THE BASEBALL SONNET

A game of sacrifice and heart and home
An art that will entice with form and curves
Please stay in line, be safe, where 'ere you roam
To argue, bump, or strafe, have sure reserves
A streak of bourgeoisie keeps egos checked
A stretch of strategy helps thinking thrive
A steal within the rules earns one respect
A run of luck by fools keeps dreams alive
Don't hurry, loaf, or balk, or give up hope
Don't worry o'er a clock, but please keep pace
And if you're found to err, move on, don't mope
And if unsure it's fair, you should touch base
A hook of gloried fame that is unique
A pitch that doth proclaim 'Baseball Mystique'

I wrote the sonnet above several years ago. This week I was fortunate to attend a Major League Baseball game and saw the Cardinals beat the Cubs. Today I am puzzling over the evolution of the game. Many would say that the game has changed. I might argue that our interpretation and understanding of the game has changed, but the game itself has remained essentially the same. It has always incorporated Hobbes's 'three principal causes of quarrel': 1) Competition for gain; 2) Diffidence (or constraint) for safety; and 3) Glory (or honor) for reputation; and I believe this to be a nice summation of the essence of the game. Any disputatious exercise in any competitive arena, (with a neighboring tribe for fruit and nuts, on the dating scene, on a battlefield, in international commerce, in the boardroom, in the job market, on a baseball field...) requires strategy. It is when politics and/or emotions become entangled with a rational consideration of strategy that (I believe) the superficial appearance of the game changes, but the core Hobbesian essence of the game remains the same.

One apparent change is the higher expectations and standards for civility. A polite or well-mannered quarrel sounds contradictory and leads many to believe the game has changed; but if you review the three principal causes of quarrel, each one is still in place showing this change to be superficial. With civility we have stepped away from anarchy and with the higher standards we are stepping toward the state of reason required for more effective strategy and a more consistently well-played game. The game is still a quarrel. To retain honor and credibility (which is the third element of Hobbes's three) the game will still on occasion devolve into sand kicking, shouting, pushing, shoving, occasional fisticuffs, and the threat (and dangerous reality) of a hurled projectile. This intemperance will continue to become less frequent (but it will never disappear completely) as reason engendered by civility in turn gives birth to a higher level of civility. So even though (comparatively) cooler heads usually do prevail more quickly today than yesterday, (again) the core Hobbesian essence of the game remains the same.

Another change agent impacting the game is technology. This has created numerous distractions, many surrounding the commerce of the game, which I believe to be (in most ways) superficial to and separate from the game. There is one byproduct of technology that I want to look at more closely: I believe technology has created a change in the fan base. I believe it is because of technology that today there are (a lot) more casual fans, and by contrast (it seems) there are fewer serious fans.

The aforementioned distractions are designed to first attract the casual fan to the game and then distract them from the seriousness of the game. Once there, I believe the casual fan to bring a greater degree of emotion and politics to the game, which in turn can potentially lead the serious fan astray. Because of the increase in casual fans, it appears that our (the fan's) understanding of the game has wandered from a sincere exercise in learning and growth, and a respect for a strong work ethic, to an entertaining pastime that glorifies celebrity flair and talent, and fulfills one's need for status, recognition, and a sense of belonging. Please note that I say 'a fan's' understanding. A serious game (such as baseball) is one in which the participants (players and management) must learn and grow and work hard. Those players, owners, and managers who have the necessary talent must either come into the game with this understanding, learn (to learn and grow and work hard) quickly, or be saddled forever with some degree of ignominy.

I believe most fans of the game (casual and serious) want to be players. Based on their hard work on behalf of the game, I would maintain that many of the serious fans are players who merely lack some specific, critical skill, talent, and/or desire that keeps them from the field of play. A lack of skill or talent to excel at game play, does not excuse a lack of seriousness for the game. A lack of skill or talent to excel on the field is an opportunity for serious effort and productive input from a more objective viewpoint. A lack of desire to be on the field of play may indicate a lack of seriousness; or it could be a calculated strategy.

A serious fan of the game respects reason. A casual fan of the game is more likely to allow politics and emotion to jade understanding.

The reaction of a casual fan who becomes entangled with politics and emotion is often not serious and this (often verbal) reaction may simply be intended to provoke (in fun or not) another (serious or casual) fan. The reaction of a serious fan who becomes entangled with politics and emotion is apt to be more extreme.

A casual fan who becomes entangled and verbal often disentangles with the next distraction to come along. A serious fan is not easily distracted and when verbal, typically reasonably so; but when entangled (as we all invariably become) the serious fan should learn to quickly fall back on reason in order to become disentangled.

A casual fan does not understand the passion and intensity of a serious fan, interpreting it as supercilious contempt. A serious fan does not understand the careless indifference of a casual fan, interpreting it as lazy buffoonery.

A casual fan should explore the depth and learn the complexities and nuances of the game in an effort to become serious. A serious fan should search for ways to be asked by the casual fan for help in exploring the depth and learning the complexities and nuances of the game.

I have spent the majority of my thought this week on contrasting the serious and casual fan, and though I see that technology has changed the fan demographic, and even to an extent the player demographic, I still maintain that the core Hobbesian essence of the game remains the same.

A three-sentence synopsis: 1) The game has become more civil. 2) Technology has created a greater percentage (and of course a greater number) of casual fans. 3) The core Hobbesian essence of the game remains the same.

The game is serious; so whether one is coming to it as a participant or as a fan, the most serious will become the most prolific.