It is the conviction of this author that nothing in baseball matches the beauty of a marvelously executed defensive play. Unfortunately, televised baseball doesn't give us much chance to see the choreography of defense, but it does give us the chance to watch the game (1) cheaply, (2) in air-conditioned comfort on a soft couch, and (3) in proximity to a bathroom without a long line. Such are the compromises of daily life, and it behooves us to make them and stop whining.
Modern media, that slave of a society that seeks the spectacular rather than the excellent, shows us one arching home run after another on the nightly sports report. Can anyone find that really interesting? I am, however, no snob. The love of a gracefully turned double play aside, nothing beats a quirky inside-the-park home run for sheer enjoyment. (By definition, all inside the park homers are quirky. How many happen in a season, really, unless the team plays in a stadium the size of Cook County and the opposing outfielders were recruited on the set of the Wizard of Oz?)
This year was notable for the excitement of the first inside-the-park homer in the history of the All-Star game. That brought up discussion by the commentators of another, hit earlier this year by the extremely improbable Prince Fielder. At first, I thought they were kidding. I've admired Fielder's play and have vivid and fond memories of his similarly well-nourished father, Cecil, who gave joy to thousands of Tiger fans while he was in Detroit. But the thought of Prince legging it fleetly around the basepaths boggles the imagination.
To my delight, it's for real.
Ha! I've never seen an outfielder so far from where the ball landed. One of the delights of baseball is the delightfully improbable - like Prince Fielder getting an inside the parker.
Homers are getting boring. I watched the home run derby without great interest. I love watching a 3rd baseman make a fielding play and then make that long throw to first.