Baseball Unique

There are a few things that make baseball unique compared to other major sports. Let's start with the obvious one. No clock.

Football, Basketball and Hockey are all governed by the clock. In Baseball, the game isn't over until the final out is made.

Case in point. Game six of this year's 2011 World Series. The Cardinals are down to their last out. In fact their last strike. It doesn't look good because if they lose game six, the series is over and the Texas Rangers are World Champions.

A David Freese triple ties the score and then Freese hit a game winning home run later to win it for the Cardinals who went on to win the World Series.

In football, basketball or hockey, if your team is down by a lot with seconds to go, there is no chance. But in baseball, as long as there is an out left, there is life.

Baseball managers wear the uniform.

You won't see a head coach in any other sport with the team's uniform on. This wasn't always the case though. Back when baseball started, managers wore a suit and tie while in the dug out. Remember A's manager Connie Mack? But back in the early days, many of the managers were also players. So they had to be ready to play by wearing a uniform. And it just caught on. Besides, when a manager goes to the mound to change a pitcher, he looks better in uniform.

Stadium Dimensions Are Different.

Every single football field is exactly the same size. All basketball and hockey rinks are, too. But every baseball stadium has different dimensions that make them unique. Yes, the baselines are all ninety feet and all pitching rubbers are sixty feet, six inches from home plate. But all the outfield distances are different.

The dimensions are different for a variety of reasons. In Boston's Fenway Park, the Green Monster in left field is only 310 feet simply because there was no more room. The street is right behind the wall.

Most clubs build their stadium dimensions around their team. No power? Make the fence farther away and build your team on speed.

The Defense Has The Ball

In football, basketball and hockey, the offense has the ball. Only in baseball does the defense possess the ball.

From the pitcher's hand to the catcher's mitt. From the shortstop to the first baseman. The offense never touches the ball except with the bat.

The Player Scores.

In basket ball the ball has to go through the net. Same in hockey where the puck has to score. Even in golf, the golf ball must go into the cup. In football the player can carry the ball across the goal line, but the football is the thing that scores.

In baseball the player actually scores, not the ball.

It's true that a home run over the fence produces a run, but the player is the one who must cross home plate for the run to count.

So there you have it. I'm sure you can think of a few more things that make baseball unique. These are just a few of the things that make our sport so special.

Steve Ramer

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