Baseball Might Be Slow, But It Isn't Boring

Chris Young's 6th inning catch

I have heard some people say that baseball is boring. 

There was nothing boring about the two National League playoff games last night, or the American League game the night before.  All three were games decided by one run, with the winner moving on to the next series.  They were tense and dramatic, filled with spectacular performances and monumental failures.  In short, classic baseball.

Cardinal pitcher Chris Carpenter pitched brilliantly, out-dueling Roy Halliday to beat the mighty Phillies 1-0.  After the Brewers blew a 2-1 lead in the 9th, they beat the Diamondbacks in the 10th with the wacky Nyjer Morgan's game-winning hit.  A day earlier the Tigers beat the Yankees 3-2, with Derek Jeter just missing a tying homer in the 8th and A-Rod striking out to end the game.

Baseball is a game that requires patience and attention to nuance.  A single game, a season, a playoff series all build slowly.  Not every inning or game is filled with excitement, but over time the drama unfolds.  And there is nothing like the elimination game of a playoff or World Series game, where it feels as though the entire season depends on one hit or error or defensive gem -- and sometime it does.

And then there is the weird stuff.  It's always something.  This year it's a squirrel.

Here's a piece on the same subject I wrote last year called Fall Classic.