Its Baseball Time Again

It is finally the time of year when baseball scores and highlights begin to appear again. Baseball is a wonderful and unique sport which most people either love or hate. Some feel it lacks the excitement of basketball or football. There are about 20 seconds of wait time between pitches. As a consequence of this waiting, some people conclude that baseball is boring. Baseball, by its nature, is a slow-paced, stop and go game. I hold that the pace at which baseball is played makes for a very relaxing yet exciting game.

Baseball is relaxing because there is no time constraint. All 27 outs will be recorded no matter how long it takes. Achieving victory is a matter of taking advantage of opportunities and scoring runs, not just being ahead when time runs out. Seizing those opportunities is what makes baseball exciting. Each time a batter steps up to bat is a chance to score runs, yet a team can get so far, loading the bases, but still come away with no runs. A walk-off home run changes the outcome of a game and is electrifying to watch.

Yogi Berra illustrated that both baseball games and baseball season are not over till the very end. “It ain’t over till it’s over,” he said. Just as there are 27 outs that must be recorded, all 162 games of a Major League Baseball season must be played. The 1973 Mets, of which Berra was a member, were 9½ games behind the Cubs in the NL East. On the second to last day of the season, the Mets overtook the Cubs and won the division. On the other hand, the 1964 Phillies were ahead of the Reds by 6½ games with 12 games remaining. The Phillies lost 10 of their last 12 games and missed the playoffs. This collapse became known as the “Phold of 1964.” The unpredictability and capriciousness of baseball make baseball thrilling to watch and to play.

Baseball also involves many rich traditions. One of the many traditions is the element of human error. A baseball game is officiated by several umpires. The home plate umpire is responsible for determining whether or not a pitch is inside the strike zone. The strike zone is officially defined, but in reality the strike zone depends on the umpire and his boundaries, as long as they are reasonable. Major League Baseball attempted to normalize the strike zone by installing special cameras and grading umpires on their accuracy. Umpires, players, and fans showed displeasure with the cameras. Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling even went as far as smashing one of the cameras with a bat. Without the help of instant replay, umpires must determine whether a player is safe or out and whether a ball is fair or foul. The element of human error adds to the uniqueness of baseball.

The 7th inning stretch is a tradition that many baseball fans couldn’t live without. Nothing compared to Harry Caray singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the 7th inning stretch at Cubs games. Many teams have their own traditions; the Boston Red Sox sing Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond during the 7th inning stretch. It is not really a necessary part of the game but has been in practice at professional baseball games since the 1920s.

Baseball uniforms have kept with tradition, remaining almost unchanged for decades. Baseball hats have also been a part of the game for decades and have become a popular fashion accessory for many Americans. Managers, essentially coaches, of baseball teams wear the same uniform that the players wear. This is not seen in most sports and makes baseball unique.

Baseball stadiums are not all the same. Some have giant green walls. Others have hills in the outfield. Still others have ivy on the outfield walls. Furthermore, baseball fields are not all the same shape or size. Some parks have a small outfield and are called “hitter’s parks,” meaning they favor the hitter and not the pitcher. The distance from home plate to the center of the outfield wall varies from stadium to stadium. Some are as short as 390 feet, while others are as long as 435 feet. This heterogeneity adds another variable to the game, thus making it more interesting and exciting.

Baseball, more than any other sport, is a game of numbers. Meticulous statistics in many different categories, including batting average, on base percentage, and others, are kept for every player. These statistics may intimidate some fans, but to many, they make following baseball much more interesting. Statistics make it easy to quantitatively describe a player’s ability and skill level. A baseball box score is nothing more than lots of statistics that tell the story of the game. The large emphasis on numbers and statistics drives players to improve because their statistics are announced many times during each game.

Check out this awesome article about Ryan Howard. GO PHILLIES!!!

De Certeau: The Practice of Everyday Life

#1 The art of memory and circumstance

Metis, as we know, is seizing the moment. In this section, de Certeau tries to define metis more precisely by exploring the multiple dimensions in which it takes place: time and space, being and operating, visibility and invisibility.

Metis is, as de Certeau says, “a principle of economy: obtain the maximum number of effects from the minimum force.” He states that there is a “‘turn’ or inversion that leads the operation from its point of departure (less force) to its destination (more effects.)” On page 64 de Certeau maps out this process. In short, less force (I), the opportunities you have in a given set of circumstances, leads to more memory (II), exploration of past experiences and possible outcomes. More memory then leads to less time (III), the right moment to act, which finally leads to more effects (IV), the set of actions that create a new equilibrium.

The first part of metis is being in a set place (I), be it an art studio or a football field. To physically affect a situation, one must be present at the point in space where the situation is occurring. Metis implies action, but the action must start with knowledge: the many pieces of knowledge as well as many past experiences that make up memory (II). Memory, de Certeau says, is part of the time dimension because each memory lacks place but is a fragment of time. With memory, we are able to recall past experiences and know how to handle certain situations. The next step is recognizing the right moment (III) and being able to use memory to decide how to respond to the situation. This is also part of the time dimension. Being able to recognize the right moment is essential because carrying out an action is as much about knowing when to act as it is about knowing how to act. The last part of metis is acting, or as de Certeau calls it, modification of space (IV). This is the actual act which changes the outcome of the situation. De Certeau sees this as a progression from space to time to time to space (as shown on page 64).

This progression from I through IV can also be described in terms or being and operating. Being is an established state and operating is the transformation of that state. Standing at a point in space (I) and having the experience and memory that are necessary (II) are part of being. Conversely, recognizing the right point in time (III) and performing the appropriate action (IV) are part of operating (as shown on page 65).

Lastly, metis can be seen in terms of visible and invisible. All parts except memory (II) are visible. This diagram, as well as a table summarizing all three points of view can be seen on page 65.

#2 An art of thinking: Kant
In this passage de Certeau discusses how Kant believes that judgment is the “middle term” between theory and practice. Judgment is placed between “the understanding that knows and the reason that desires,” and is therefore said to be a universal principle of harmony between imagination and understanding. Kant also describes judgment as a type of intelligence that ties together moral intelligence (freedom), esthetic intelligence (creation), and practical intelligence (action).

Kant presents judgment as an art that is at the root of thought: what characterizes art, according to de Certeau, is “The transformation of a given equilibrium into another.” A magician, Kant says, depends on knowledge, but a tightrope walker, who must constantly reevaluate and readjust his situation, depends on art.

Art vs. Sport

After watching the Bears play a horrible game, I can only imagine how the morale of the city is going to go down significantly. Rex Grossman played horribly and Colts just ran all over the Bears. It was an embarrassing loss for the Bears.

This week we argued excessively about whether sport is art or entertainments and so on. In my mind, sport and art are two very different things that both fall under the category of entertainment. Sport is a battle. The victor has something to gain, be it glory, money, or respect. In art, there is no competition. Art is inherently about the creativity and the aesthetic appeal. Whereas sports, in my mind, is about the competition. yes there is a certain aesthetic appeal to sports, but when it comes down to it, if there was no winner and loser, many people would not follow sports as closely as they do now.

Baseball season is nearing and I am very excited. I find baseball to be a thrilling sports. First, because the game can change with one swing. Second, because it is impossible to predict who will come out on top after the long roller coaster ride that is the baseball season. GO PHILLIES!!!

Defining Sport

I first want to say that the Ohio State vs. Mich State basketball game was a wonderful game that went down to the buzzer. I think that a game like that is one of the most exciting things in sports. You are on the edge of your seat till the very end of the game. MSU had been losing the whole game but made a push in the last two minutes of the game. Here is the recap of the second half.

The reading this week was very interesting. I had never really thought very much about what defines sport before reading this excerpt. In Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht's book, In Praise of Athletic Glory, he states that all sports do not share one thing in common, but rather all sports are connected through similarities. "Wrestling and rugby," he says, "certainly have some affinities in common, and rugby and soccer developed from the same group of games. But wrestling and soccer do not visibly share a lot of features." I agree with that part of Gumbrecht's definition very much. I also believe that just as we evolve and advance over time, so does sport. Chariots evolved into cars and sport followed evolving from chariot races to NASCAR races.

Gumbrecht then goes on to talk about the presence and meaning dimensions. I wont try to summarize this because I think he says it better than I ever could. I agree with Gumbrecht in terms of the importance of the presence as opposed to meaning dimension in sport.

The way I envisioned this course was that we would talk extensively about competition as a major factor in why people play and watch sport. Gumbrecht stresses that while many people would rather associate competition, agon, with sport, it is also the striving for excellence, arete, with which sport should be associated. Arete, he argues, implies agon. "For even if we strive for excellence in absolute solitude," he says, "we cannot do so without the competition against the performance of (absent) others." It is possible to win a competition without striving for excellence. If one team is noticeably better than the other, only a little effort from the better team is needed to achieve victory.

Yet agon is certainly a major part of sports as well. Women's college basketball may be the most pure form of basketball that exists. There is no money involved. There are not many people watching so there is nothing to gain by being selfish or trying to show off. It is a very team oriented game. Yet men's sports are still more popular because ultimately, a men's team would beat a women's team. This shows that while arete is vital in explaining sport, agon is equally as important.

Overall, I agree with Gumbrecht. I think that part of sport is both the importance of competition and winning, as well as striving to push the limits. What would sport be without winners and losers? Additionally, what would sport be without records constantly being broken? Sport, by my definition, is a group of activities which share similar traits from one sport to the next. These activities are the synthesis of agon and arete.

Gym Class

I found the Rugby reading very interesting. I think that the idea of a school focusing solely on sports is very intriguing. Sports teach many important values that might not be learned in a normal classroom setting. Teaching sports and physical education is certainly important. It is interesting to note that this idea has come full circle. Just weeks ago there was a big controversy in New York because many schools, including elementary and middle schools, were putting Body Mass Index on report cards. Many people in today's society are obsessed with healthy eating and physical wellbeing. The number of people that work out has increased noticeably in the past few decades. So the idea of focusing on physical fitness is not a new or foreign idea; people have been concerned with health and fitness since way back when.

On the other hand, I believe that people should be well rounded. Many student athletes get criticized for being "dumb jocks," people who care more about sports than academics. A school like the Rugby School would not do as well today as it might have in the past, but sports camps and other programs exist that focus only on sports. Many are only a week or two long becuase in today's society , being a well rounded individual is very important. People need to learn math and English as well as basketball and soccer.

Philadelphia-esque

Last weekend the Eagles season ended like so many Philadelphia sports teams' seasons have. The Eagles, down by 6, started the fourth quarter by marching down field. They had second and 1 on the New Orleans 4 yard-line. They could not score a touchdown. They ended up kicking a field goal and going on to lose the game by 3 points, 24-27. This is a very Philadelphia-esque thing to have happen. Eagles fans were both sad and upset. The Eagles have gotten close countless times but so often have choked or failed.

I am very excited about the Bears though. It is cool to be in a city that is alive with spirit. I hope the Bears continue to win because I know Chi-town would go crazy if the Bears make or win the Superbowl. Go Bears!!!

My Views on Sport

Living in southern NJ, I have been a Philadelphia sports fan all my life. I've always loved the Eagles and Hated the Giants and Cowboys. The Cowboys used to crush the Eagles back when I was in elementary school. North Jersey wants to be part of NYC so they are NY sports fans. South Jersey wants to be part of Philadelphia and is mostly Philly fans. Being a Philadelphia sports fan involves lots of great traditions, including eating Geno's or Pat's cheesesteaks and arguing over which was better as well as losing. Philly teams always have lots of talent but cant seem to do well. This year the Phillies had Ryan Howard, the MVP on their team and couldn't seem to make the playoffs. The Eagles have gotten so close so many times but cant seem to win a Super Bowl. They went to four NFC Championships in a row and didn't win a single Super Bowl. Philly teams get so close but cant finish. Or many teams also make the playoffs only to choke in the 2nd or 3rd round. I, along with the many other loyal Philly fans, are still waiting for an Eagles Super Bowl win or a Phillies World Series win.

I never really played sports seriously. I was on a few traveling soccer teams as a child but never a high school or even middle school sports team. I am much more of a spectator. I wake up every morning and watch Sports Center, but I also enjoy the occasional game of pick-up basketball or soccer.

I think people play sports because we all have a competitive instinct. I also firmly believe that there are many different types of intelligence, including mental, physical, musical, and artistic. I think that just like there are people who are good at math, others are equally good at what they do, be it carpentry, sports, or cooking. Those people are intelligent as well. Competitive instincts lead people to want to prove that they are better than others which leads to an organized competition that we call a football or baseball game. But it is not just football and baseball that are sports; fencing, golf, boxing, soccer, running, and many other things are also sports.

My favorite sports to watch are baseball and football. I am a huge Phillies fan. I love listening to Harry Kalas announce games. Its a voice I love to listen to and I think goes perfectly with baseball. I also enjoy listening to baseball on the radio. Some people say baseball is boring but I love it. It is played at such a relaxing pace yet it is very suspenseful. Games can change with one swing of the bat. It is very exciting.

I am also a big Eagles fan. The Eagles have let many fans down in the past decade or so. But Philly fans are still there. I know many people who have season tickets and are still loyal fans. Since NY is so close (2 hours from Atlantic City, about an hour and a half from Philly) there are a few NY fans in my area as well.

I love sports and all that they do for people. They not only entertain, but they also bring together millions of people. Sports gives people something to connect with, follow, and support. I plan on going to South Africa in 2010 for the World Cup. It is going to be an amazing experience. It will be like nothing else and I can't wait to go. I love watching, following, and playing sports. I am a Philly sports fan and I always will be. GO EAGLES!!!