To Commissioner Selig and baseball fans everywhere:
Every so often we, as humans, are given the opportunity to catch a glimpse of perfection. As paths cross and stars align, the perfect storm of fate and coincidence allows us to forget the limitations of humanity and peer into heaven for a brief moment before we are snatched back down to earth (sometimes abruptly).
Baseball fans around the globe experienced that tonight. As the outs started stacking up for Armando Galarraga and the Detroit Tigers, the entire baseball community held their breath for their chance to witness the rare events that make up a perfect outing. Some had seen it before, others had just heard about it, and when Austin Jackson made a super-human effort mirroring past heroes of the game, there was no doubt that magic was inevitable and that history would be made.
And while the hushed voices were whispering amongst each other seeking confirmation that they were, indeed, observing the same events unfold; none were prepared for the reality check that occurred after having reached baseball's equivalent of perfection.
Mr. Joyce's botched play call reminded us of our humanity. It reminded us that baseball, just like life, cannot be perfect. And that is why it represents us. In what other sport are human errors counted and tallied? In baseball, when a mistake is made, players and coaches make note and then move on - there is work to be done.
As many baseball fans across the country continue to clamor for expanded use of an instant replay system it is my wish that they will consider the effects it will have on a game that, at its roots, was designed to mimic the simple and complex nature of our being. And while we examine the use of technological aid in determining the intricacies of a game, the simple question must be asked: should we?
In a game that was conceived in romanticism, should we take on the themes of the 21st century and openly embrace the use of technology to correct our errors or should we rely on the fact that we are human and make mistakes? What place does baseball hold in American society? Does it change with the heart of the nation like it did in Jackie Robinson's time or does it allow us to escape the complexity of our modern life and bring us back to a simpler time?
These are questions that I think will undoubtedly lead to the greater use of an instant replay system and by examining them, gives us the opportunity to look at ourselves from a different perspective: to see how much we are willing to adapt and what effects it may have on our understanding of human nature.
In answering these questions, the path that baseball takes will almost certainly reflect the essence of our nation. And as long as we continue to examine the game in this matter, baseball will always be America's game.
Go Tigers.
1 comment:
I think this is well-written and I enjoy the way you personified the game, but I disagree with the way you've equated the error that Mr. Joyce made with the everyday errors committed by players.
As you likely know, Mr. Harwell described the game similarly during his HOF induction, saying "(it's) as simple as a ball and a bat, and yet as complex as the American spirit it represents."
I would more readily liken Mr. Joyce's error to the sewer grate that ended Mantle's career, the lockout of '94, or the pandemic currently plaguing the sport. Our "escaping the complexity of modern life" is interrupted by events that seep into our reprieve of a "ball and a bat".
To the extent that we can limit those errors that don't show up on the scorecard, it's my opinion that we should. Video replay, while also imperfect, helps to do so, and the League made the right call when they implemented it.
Go Tigers.
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