I’ve always been known as the “non-sporty” sibling in a family that prides itself on athleticism, championships, and first place ribbons. I never got the hype around touchdowns and free throws, and I’m still learning to be frank. My lack of enthusiasm regarding sports, especially professional sports, frustrated my athletically inclined siblings and parents who find solace in ESPN. When that channel came on, that was typically my queue to leave the room.
Something changed in the fall of 2022, though. I was watching the Phillies play in the postseason on TV with my family. It was the bottom of the eighth inning and the Phillies were down one run against the San Diego Padres. That changed when the Phillies’ MVP stepped up to the plate and sent the ball soaring into the crowd. Along with the fans in the stands, I became really…emotional? This was an unfamiliar, yet invigorating feeling. I get it now, I remember thinking. Sports, especially baseball, are romantic. That’s the draw, although most macho sports enthusiasts wouldn’t dare to admit it.
I gradually tested the waters of other games like football and basketball to see if they carried the same emotional merit, but I’d always keep crawling back to baseball. Albeit this past NFL season was electric for Eagles fans, opening day for the Phillies is right around the corner, so it’s time to get back to business; baseball business.
Before you roll your eyes in intense boredom, allow me to explain why baseball is actually the most exciting sport to watch, despite its monotonous reputation.
combacks
If you consistently watch baseball, you know that the power of a bat can turn on a dime. Players get hot and players go cold. It’s what makes this sport so unpredictable, so exciting. It also grants players comeback opportunities. It gives them a chance to revive their reputation that the MLB community has exhaustively slandered.
One Phillies player that became known for his emotional comeback in the summer of 2023 is Trea Turner. After a perpetual hitting drought during his first year as a Phillie, Turner’s name was dragged through the mud. Fans were disappointed, analysts and commentators were relentless, and Turner was beyond frustrated.
Shortly after Turner made a move that would cost his team a game, the fans decided that enough was enough and took part in a beautiful act of fandom to get Turner back on his feet. In a routine series against the Kansas City Royals, Phillies fans gave #7 a standing ovation every time he stepped up to bat. This moving gesture sparked the best stretch in Turner’s career and gracefully exemplified the meaning of brotherly love.
Comaraderie
The bromances formed through baseball are unmatched. For those nine innings, these grown men get to morph into little boys playing ball with their best buds. Isn’t that precious? I’m biased in the following opinion of course, but the brotherhood of baseball beautifully manifests itself through Phillies friendships.
The MLB TikTok page, recognizing the foundational friendships in the league, recently posted a video where they asked a few athletes who their “baseball besties” are. Bryce Harper, first baseman and MVP of the Phillies, remarked, “Bryson [Stott],” the Phillies’ novice second baseman. When asked the same question, Stott replied “Bryce Harper,” without missing a beat. The trust these two players have in one another is what makes them such a dominant duo on the field. The pair are also childhood friends, making their allegiance even more nostalgic.
These friendships don’t just remain on the field, though. Phillies outfielder, Brandon Marsh, and third baseman, Alec Bohm are teammates and roommates. These two might be the definition of inseparable. The pair can’t speak highly enough of each other and truly embody the notion of brotherly love.
community
Yes, the community that each team has within their dugout is something special, but the connection they form with the fans is extraordinary. Rain or shine, day or night, win or lose, the fans stick it out with the team. And especially in Philly, the fans have no issue telling one of their players to get their act together.
Last postseason, Phillies’ right fielder, Nick Castellanos, was on the receiving end of this. After striking out an uncharacteristically amount of times, the fans let him have it. Let’s call it tough love. “These f****n people,” Castellanos mouthed at the plate, giving it right back to the fans. However, it was those bleeping people who pushed him to hit a game-tying home run and later, an RBI that would win them the game. When the fans talk, the players listen.
I think it’s safe to say that Tom Hanks was wrong. There is crying in baseball, and that’s what I love about it! It’s an emotional rollercoaster that picks you up in the spring and drops you off in the fall. These athletes open their hearts to us and are along for the ride, making us feel seen, heard, and above all, appreciated. How could you not be romantic about baseball?