The Heart and Soul of Baseball

I'm just a fan.

I have been one since I was a kid. Baseball for me was something that was acquired rather than passed on since I didn't have my father in my life to show me the wonders of what Major League Baseball is all about. Of course any kid in the United States wouldn't be able to exist without at least hearing about the sport as they grew up. Regardless of what you hear, what you see on TV, being there in person is the only way to truly capture what baseball is all about. I didn't begin to love the game until I actually went to a game. Before that day, I liked it, but never truly did I love it until I stood on the concourse and absorbed the sight of the diamond.

Back in 1984, the wonderful people of the valley of the sun didn't have the Diamondbacks to love, cherish and call their own. Most of the friends I had growing up liked the Dodgers since some of their games were broadcast in our area. During that same year, my family traveled to the Bay Area to visit my sister. My brother in law found out that I had never been to a Major League Baseball game and since I was 8 years old it was a necessity to go to a major league game. So, he got us tickets to the Oakland A's and off we went to Oakland Coliseum (Now called McAfee Coliseum) on the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). When we got on the train, we were instantly surrounded by an entire car of A's fan's. I must have had the look on my face of utter excitement because that was what I was feeling. A passenger must have noticed by elation and says to me, "This must be your first time going to a game." I nodded my head and he continued by saying, "You will never forget today. Everything that happens in the game isn't necessarily what matters, just enjoy yourself and you will never ever forget this feeling for the rest of your life." Something about this man was absorbed into me. I could never forget this man's words to me and the passion that he was showing for the game. This passion, this love, somehow became a part of me. I felt excited, overjoyed and as the train got closer and closer to the Oakland Coliseum stop, the wonderful feeling in the pit of my stomach kept getting stronger and stronger. Then at last we were there.

The coliseum bustled with thousands of people working their way inside. It was bat day at the park and I received my first Louisville Slugger bat. I loved the fact they only gave the bats to the kids and this made me feel even that much more special because of it. I felt that the sport called to me and wanted me to experience every ounce of it's magic. The day couldn't have been better. The sun was shining, it was a warm day and here I was at the ballpark watching in my mind the greatest men on the earth. They were giants, they were special, and throughout all 9 innings of the game they showed me why they were something to aspire to be.

This is what most major leaguers forget these days. That baseball is a sport that kids will watch and will love. It's something that should be loved by kids. It's pure, it's honorable, it's heroic, and it's all kids of American. The best ball players out there are the one's that give their hearts and souls to the game. The ones that never forget what it felt like when they were an 8 year old, going to that first game, and looking up to the heroes on the field. These players have the competitive drive for success but also play the game with their teammates in mind. The best have character and never forget the fans especially the kids that look up to them.

Times have definitely changed since I was that 8 year old kid and so has baseball. Somewhere along the way I found myself being disgusted by the players, the union, and the owners. Because of money....nobody could get along and there was a strike. Every true fan lets baseball into their heart. They love it and it makes them feel eternally young. It hurt my heart in 1994 when that happened. I was 18 and in my final year of high school and because of everything going on, I figured that maybe it was time to let baseball leave my heart and move on. I like many others stopped watching the games, stopped going to games, and banned baseball from their lives for the pain that was caused to our hearts. That ban for me lasted for 4 years. In 1998, Arizona was going to have their own team. At first I must admit that when I heard about it, I bitterly laughed at the idea. They presented the colors for the team and the uniforms and again I bitterly mocked it. They brought in Buck Showalter from the Yankees to coach the team and something in me stopped being bitter. The Yankees have always been a team of respect. Love them or hate them....you still have to respect them. They have won 26 World Series (most championships in all of professional sports)....they have 39 American League pennants and they have had some of the greatest players to ever play the game on their squads.

Regardless, Buck Showalter joining this team and leading it woke me up a little. That first year they brought in Jay Bell and Matt Williams. Both of the players were and still are well respected. These players made me open my eyes a little more to baseball again and this team. When the team finally played in it's first season, I finally decided to release the ban that I imposed on baseball and slowly open my heart back up to baseball. I gave the Arizona Diamondbacks a chance and slowly but surely I came to find out that the ownership of the team wanted to show the people of Arizona and the world it seemed that they were a first rate organization. They showed me that character was what mattered and they started making moves over those first couple of years that displayed that proudly. They brought in Randy Johnson, Luis Gonzalez, Steve Finley, Craig Counsel, Mark Grace, Curt Schilling, just to name a few.

The Diamonbacks showed that they were great players. But what made them great was not necessarily what they did on the field as what they did off of it and for the fans. They are a team of heart. They are a team of honor. The players loved the fans and showed it frequently. Little League ballparks sprang up around the valley in their names, they have contributed to charities to help kids, they have visited the sick or dying kids in the valley, they have signed autographs, and they have been role models. This is what baseball should be, and because of these players and the ownership of the team, I couldn't help but let go of my bitterness for the strike in the 90's. Baseball once again entered into my heart and soul. I became captivated by them and wanted them to one day make it to the holy of holies....the world series. Not because of any other reason than they deserved it. They proved that they were great and nothing was going to stop their destiny. It wasn't the if they would make it, it was the when.

Finally in 2001 they did, and they had to beat the much respected and worthy team of the New York Yankees. Everyone in baseball was saying that they didn't have a prayer against the team that won 3 times in a row. Nobody thought that this team from Arizona could beat the mighty New York Yankees. And once again, this honorable team showed it's worth and beat them in the greatest world series of my life if not ever. Okay I may be biased since it was my team that was involved, but who can argue that the tension and excitement of that series wasn't through the roof? The world watched two of the classiest organizations do battle for 7 wonderful games.

But I'm getting a little off track here. What matters most is this...As long as the players, the ownership, and the unions never forget that they always have the job of keeping baseball honorable, respectable, and special then it will always be loved by the fans, especially the young one's. Every fan that holds baseball in it's heart and soul will always try to transfer that love of the game to future generations. It's beautiful, it's magical, and it's worthy to be a part of everyone, everywhere.

I'm sure there are others out there that may read this that will have something to say about it. Maybe they hate the Yankees or that my opinions are clouded and not in reality. Maybe I don't have the same finesse of writing as others out there. Regardless, this is just how I feel. I'm not a player, i'm not an owner, I don't work for any baseball team or affiliation, I don't get paid in any way for what I am writing here.

I'm just a fan.