Back to Basics

To call the game an epic battle would be more than presumptuous. It was after all, just a spring baseball game with two unfamiliar teams playing, not dying to win but simply hoping to improve. Still, the game had all the qualities of an early exhibition that draws baseball lovers and lifers to baseball in March.

The setting for the game was predictable. The field was not suited for the crowds or the pageantry of an opening day. The sun was bright and the sky was cloudless, but not quite warm. The players wore long sleeve undershirts beneath their fresh jerseys, and there were more than a few sweaters and hoodies in the bleachers. Like any other spring game there, were toddlers seeing a baseball game for the first time, and there were snowbirds spending an afternoon outdoors before finding an early supper. Pretty girls were daring to wear shorts for the first time this year despite the shifty breeze. The clamor of batting practice in nearby cages underscored the sounds from the actual game itself.

All the coaches on each side were as nervous as a first timer in a middle school play. Were they ready for even this modest stage? Had they done enough to prepare their teams? Would they flub their line-ups?

Baseball may have long lost the title of “America’s Pastime” to football or reality television or “internet research,” but spring baseball still quarries the sports fan’s unlimited mines of romance and optimism.

The game featured two of the league’s brightest stars. It would be the first game action for each player this spring. These two guys were friends, having been teammates two seasons ago. At that time, they were simply emerging contributors, players still creating their game while making great plays occasionally rather than often. This is the season they will undoubtedly be hitting their prime. They have become the type of player that draws a little more buzz from the crowd when they step up to the plate.

Befitting his star status, one player arrived in a Jaguar. As is the custom nowadays, the stars made pleasantries before the game and reconnected after a long off-season. Once the game began, their performances did not disappoint. Swinging on the third pitch across the plate, the first star homered to left center field. The second star ripped a triple in his first at bat in the bottom half of the inning. Later, they would each make stellar defensive plays, including an unassisted double play off of a hard liner seemingly destined for extra bases. When the game ended, both players would be just one at bat away from possibly “hitting for the cycle.” But, true to the nature of these spring exhibitions, neither player had a fourth at bat because the teams had made a gentlemen’s agreement before the game to spread the at bats around the line-ups.

The game was as it should have been, a showcase for all the players, not just the superstars. It was also an opportunity to witness improvements all along the rosters and expose areas to be marked for improvement. On the dim side, the base running at times was more laughable than laudable. First and third base coaches were ignored with regularity. On the other hand, future stars showed glimpses of their potential and proved that the relentless repetitions of drills in practices were paying dividends. One highlight was a thrilling relay from the left fielder to the shortstop on to home plate. The tag was applied perfectly for an ESPN highlight-reel out. On this play the cogs were in place, the machine was operating perfectly.

This spring baseball game was not a classic, and you didn’t need to see box score, and the home run doesn’t count, but baseball had returned. This was a good thing. The fans cheered for their favorites once again. They left the park pleased and optimistic. There was definitely hope on both sides for a winning season. The coaches learned more from this game than they could have hoped. And the players, they wondered and wandered around after the game. What was their real concern? Being four, five and six year old boys, they just wanted their snack.