A white ball pounds leather today and my mind will take a welcome rest. Ball, strike, foul, or hit; it does not matter. Giant bobble dolls in silly uniforms race around the pitcher of choice on the mound. It seems there is always time to gaze without purpose at the green grass beyond or perhaps follow the flight path of a hungry gull. An explosion of motion breaks the silence as the confident flip of the slugger’s bat seems so simple to understand. A pause in the ball and bat encounter silences the crowd. When will the batter strike another? I seem to be hypnotized by this anticipation of action.
Whether old and young surrounds me this afternoon, it makes no difference. We all play the game in our mind according to own dreams for ourselves. Dust flies from spiked shoes to remind children to run swiftly. Female groupies admire the sculpted sinews of the flying baserunner with hopes of meeting the rich man of their dreams. A son longs to play catch again with his departed father. In the batter’s zeal to steal second base, an old timer grabs for his time-tested scorecard to record the action that his experience senses what will inevitably happen. The crowd boos with disgust as the catcher’s throw skips swiftly beyond the awaiting infielder. Is it possible that these spectators misjudge this error in view of their own life imperfections?
Turn back the clock to the simpler times of our youth as the pure joy of baseball surrounds you. Strike or ball, safe or out, fair or foul, no matter of gray will confuse our mind today. As adults, we often lose sight of the spirit of play in the complex matters of career and family. Turn off your mind now and imagine the baseball game as your sole point of interest. You might catch a foul ball or obtain that long sought autograph of your baseball hero. Silence your cellphone and enjoy the company of those fans of the game who surround you. If nothing else, have fun now.
Does it really matter which team wins in the end today? You found a new baseball player to admire or gained new appreciation for your family past. You felt peace from life’s slowdown while forgetting your deepest fears. You experienced the beauty of nature or acquired a newly prized baseball memory. You can be reassured that there will always be another baseball game to look forward to. As you become more appreciative of the present moment, is it wrong to think that the magic of baseball may never end?. If nothing else, have fun now.
Snippets of a Traveling Mind 
What a sweet picture of the eternal goodness of baseball! But, don’t forget, not every woman at a ballgame is there to hook up with a good-looking player. Like men, women love the game for all sorts of reasons. When I was younger I used to go to games by myself, even travelling to spring training alone — simply to enjoy the game — but some people wrongly assumed why a single woman would be at a game by herself. It was for, as you said, for the “pure joy” of baseball and the “peace” that can be found at the diamond. 🙂
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I see your point. That snippet with the woman was only one baseball game , I attended when it was obvious that there were hidden undertones going on between certain ball players and some, female attendees. In many other games , the above was not the case. No stereotypes are intended.
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