Give baseball another shot

On Friday, when most of us will be in the Grove forgetting what day and year it is, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the New York Yankees start their best-of-seven series for the American League Championship. The Yankees possess the highest-paid, highest-profile roster in American sports, and while the Angels are certainly no David to the Goliath in pinstripes, their underdog status is assured and deserved. However, since it’s baseball, nobody will be watching.

I’m never shocked when I hear how much someone dislikes baseball. How slow it moves, how the term “athlete” is used loosely for some of the players even how ridiculously long the season is. Why would somebody watch three to four hours of stagnant action when there are so many faster, flashier sports available?

I have no argument against any of it. The “modern-era” of baseball dates back to 1900, and most of its rules and regulations haven’t changed since the first Roosevelt was president. It normally takes 15 to 20 seconds between pitches, the ace pitcher for the Yankees could be a successful sumo wrestler and it takes 162 games over six months to figure out who will play another month to see who the best team is.

But if you are a fan of sport, or are willing to give pine tar and chewing tobacco one last try, watch this series. What it may lack in bone-crushing hits, it will more than make up for in captivating story lines and drama better than anything the NBC can flail out.

The Yankees’ story is simple: they spent a lot of money, they have a lot of talent, and they’ve won a lot of games. This is their most realistic shot at winning the World Series since the infamous 2004 season, and with their old confidence back, the city will see anything less than a ring as a failure.

As for the Angels, their path was filled with heartbreak. Rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart, along with two others, were hit and killed by a drunk-driver on April 9. He died hours after finishing his first start of the season, but ever since then the Angels have hung his jersey in their dugout as a symbol of a fallen teammate who will never be forgotten.

It doesn’t take a diehard fan to see what this series has to offer. So if you’re interested in trying it one last time, that time is now.

Austen Gregerson is a sophomore majoring in print journalism and political science. He may be contacted at agregerson@themiamihurricane.com.