Baseball season is in full swing. And apparently so is the season for bad puns as leads. One of my nightly rituals is sitting alone in my dorm's lobby and watching all the highlights from that day's MLB action (that sounded a lot less pathetic in my head). I've seen many patterns develop over the summer. While things haven't gotten to the point where I can predict the show or the events on it, there are moments where I just lean back and wonder how many times I've seen the exact same thing.
Like in the nightly Top Ten plays on ESPN, I can always count on at least two highlights of an impressive (yet rarely jaw-dropping) fielding play from a third baseman who makes a strong throw to first to get the batter out just in time. Another staple of the Top Ten is a pity reference to the WNBA. That's usually a poorly-seeded average play that is just an example of one player's exciting night, consisting of a game-high 11 points and 5 rebounds. Wow.
But my favorite part of the show is whenever they replay a walk-off win. It could be a single, double, or even a balk-off win. But the storybook classic, of course, is the game-ending home run.
I've seen a fair amount of these walk-offs this season, and after the first dozen or so they all started to seem the same. Until I began looking at it from a different perspective.
Most people watch the batter as he smoothly finishes his swing and drops his bat on the ground before slowly trotting towards first base. Some watch the outfield stands as most fans go crazy while the lucky ones go after the winning ball.
Me? I watch the catcher.
Think about it. How terrible must it feel to have a pitch stolen from your glove and ripped into deep center field. And all you can do is sit there. A background to a picture of history.
And what about the fielder whose head the ball is soaring over? What can he do but jog towards the wall and look up? Completely helpless.
I'm not sure which would be worse, knowing there's absolutely nothing you can do to save your team, or knowing that no matter what you do, it won't be enough? Both have to be nauseating feelings of despair. Feelings that can only be overcome by playing another game the next day; getting a chance of redemption.
You know what? Even worse than both of those feelings combined has to be pitcher who gave up that walk-off homer. Because he knows it was his fault, and he has to live with that feeling until he gets his next chance. That is, if that chance ever comes.
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