TherearepeopleinItalywhocan’tstandsoccer.NotallCanadianslovehockey.AsimilarsituationexistsinAmerica,wheretherearethoseindividualsyoumaybeoneofthemwhoyawnorevenfrownwhensomebodymentionsbaseball.『Baseballtothemmeansboringhourswatchinggrownmeninfunnytightoutfitsstandingaroundinafieldstaringawaywhileverylittleofanythinghappens.』①Theytellyouit’sagamebettersuitedtothe19thcentury,slow,quiet,gentlemanly.Thesearethesamepeopleyoumaybeoneofthemwholovefootballbecausethere’sthesportthatglorifies“thehit”.Bycontrast,baseballseemsabstract,cool,silent,still.
OnTVthegameisfracturedintoadozenperspectives,replays,closeups.Thegeometryofthegame,however,isessentialtounderstandingit.Youwillcontemplatethegamefromonepointasapainterdoeshissubject;youmay,ofcourse,projectyourselfintothegame.Itisinthisprojectionthatthegameaffordssomuchspaceandtimeforinvolvement.TheTVwon’tdoitforyou.
Take,forexample,thethirdbaseman.Yousitbehindthethirdbasedugoutandyouwatchhimwatchinghomeplate.Hislegsareapart,kneesflexed.Hisarmshangloose.Hedoesalotofthis.Theskepticstillcannotthinkofanyothersportssostill,sopassive.『Butwatchwhathappenseverytimethepitcherthrows:thethirdbasemangoesuponhistoes,flexeshisarmsorbringtheglovetoapointinfrontofhim,takesasteprightorleft,backwardorforward,perhapsheglancesacrossthefieldtocheckhisfirstbaseman’sposition.』②Supposethepitchisaball.“Nothinghappened,”yousay.“Icouldhavehadmyeyesclosed.”
Theskepticandtheinnocentmustplaythegame.Andthisinvolvementinthestandsisnomoreintellectualthanlisteningtomusicis.Watchthethirdbaseman.Smooththedirtinfrontofyouwithonefoot;smooththepocketinyourglove;watchtheeyesofthebatter,thespeedofthebat,thesoundofhorsehideonwood.Iffootballisasymphonyofmovementandtheatre,baseballischambermusic,aspaciousinterlockingofnotes,choresandresponses.
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