I should preface this piece by stating that I love the three major team sports showcased in this country (baseball, football and basketball)  almost equally.  Heck, I've even grown to love hockey - thanks to the help of my father explaining the rules and intricacies of the game, and the fact that I live near Detroit where it's seen as a capital crime not to be a fan of the Red Wings.  But if I had to choose one game that is a cut above the rest, it would have to be America's national pastime... baseball.

In the past, I've been involved in several spirited debates over this very subject.  People who disagree with my stance always say the same things:  "How can you stand to watch an entire baseball game?  It's so boring!  There's not enough action.  I fall asleep after the third inning" ... yadda, yadda, yadda!  After a while, it becomes so redundant that I simply reply with a profound line from a Metallica song ("Hollier Than Thou") that says, "boredom sets into the boring mind!"

But since this blogging contest is about conveying our shared passion for sports and everything it has to offer, I thought I'd use this opportunity to blog about why I think baseball is truly the greatest game on Earth.

Now sure, there are the obvious reasons why baseball is so grand.  The walkoff home runs, the no-hitters, the record chases, and the pennant races are just a few palpable examples of the allure of the game.  And while those examples are essential to the love I have for baseball, there are other more subtle reasons why baseball is so unique, and why it is, in my humble opinion, the best game on the planet.

To qualify the above statement, I provide you with three not-so-obvious reasons why baseball is still the king of all team sports:

1)  By the Numbers

It goes without saying that numbers and statistics are prevalant in every sport.  But with baseball, numbers are a defining entity as well as a mathematician's dream come true.  In addition to the simple usage of numbers as it relates to the score, individual stats, the distance from home to first, home to pitcher's mound and home to the center field wall, numbers are used to calculate other important numbers as well. 

Think about all the different ratios and averages that are calculated during a baseball game and season:  strikeout-to-walk ratio, on base percentage, slugging percentage, stolen base percentage, save percentage (or save vs. blown save ratio) batting average and earned run average - just to name a few.  All these numbers can be broken down further within the context of a game, and all are vital to a manager's in-game strategies (more on that later).

Numbers are also a key component in the complex scoring system in baseball... imagine that!  Each position in the field is designated a number so the scorekeeper can easily summarize each play.  Let's face it, it's much easier to write "4-6-3" on the scorecard than it is "second base to shortstop to first base."  And at the end of the game, the final numbers don't just dictate who won and who lost, they tell the entire story of the game.  For example, if the Yankees finish a game with a line that reads 5-10-0 as opposed to the Red Sox 2-4-2, it tells us that the Yankees slapped around the Sox pitching pretty good and played great defense to boot.  Meanwhile, the Red Sox had trouble getting runners on base and played sloppy in the field.  The final numbers in any other game (sans the stat line) only tell who won and who lost, nothing more.

Numbers also decide many in-game strategies in baseball.  How many times have you watched a game and saw a stat flash across the screen saying Joe Blow hits just .201 vs. lefties as opposed to .313 against righties?  As soon as you see that stat, you see the manager waltz out of the dugout and motion for the south paw.  Just as quickly, the opposing manager is likely to call Mr. Blow back to the dugout and look for either a) a right-handed batter who hits lefties well, or b) a hitter who has had great career success against the pitcher coming into the game.  It's a tremendous cat-and-mouse game that is solely dependent on the numbers.

2)  The Game Within the Game

Another aspect I love about baseball is "the game within the game."  What I mean when I say this is simply what is happening in between each pitch.  Whether it's a base-runner attempting to steal a sign, a third-base coach relaying a hit-and-run sign from the bench, or the outfield shifting one way or another because of the way a hitter is being pitched, there are always countless "games" taking place that the camera just can't show to the audience.  That is one of the many reasons why I prefer attending a baseball game live instead of watching it on TV.

It is during these periods that most casual on-lookers complain that the game is too slow.  They claim there's too much stalling in baseball, that players are more concerned with grabbing their crotch, tapping the bat to their cleats and spitting on the ground than they are getting a hit and coming through for their team.  While that claim may be true for a few select players, for the most part, this is where all the real action is taking place. 

When a hitter steps out of the batter's box, he's probably doing it for one of two reasons:  1) He missed the sign, or is unsure of the sign, and merely steps out to make sure he knows what he's supposed to do on the next pitch.  OR...  2) The pitcher is taking too long and the hitter feels like his muscles aren't relaxed enough to swing freely and his concentration is beginning to dwindle.  Once this happens, the signs from both benches could change entirely.  To me, that is the meat and potatoes of the game.  I love to play the guessing game as to what each manager will do next.  For instance...

What pitches will they use to try and get the hitter out?  Last time they struck him out with a curve ball.  But I think that might be what he is looking for this time around.  Maybe they should crowd him with a fastball and try to sneak it by him.  Is the hit-and-run on?  Or will they try to bunt the runner over?  Will they walk hitter A to pitch to hitter B?  These are all questions and concerns I'm constantly pondering to myself when I watch a baseball game.  It is truly a thinking man's game.

3)  Time is Never an Issue

The other unique, underlying aspect of baseball that separates it from the rest is that it's the only team sport (at least to my knowledge) that is not controlled by a clock.  Think about it.  When you watch a basketball game, you pretty much know when a game is going to be decided - even a close game.  When the game comes down to its final seconds (whether it's regulation or overtime), that final possession will basically make or break that team's fate.  Same with football for the most part.  Although in the NFL, the overtime periods are sudden death.  Still, when a team drives inside the opponent's 30, you pretty much know the end is near.  In baseball, the game can continue for hours and the finish can come in an instant, without warning or provokation.  Look no further than last October for a prime example.

The Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros played an 18 inning, 5 hour 50 minute marathon that promptly ended with one improbable swing of a rookie bat.  I remember watching this game in utter disbelief.  After Lance Berkman and Brad Ausmus' late-inning heroics, the game took several gut-wrenching twists and turns as each team had opportunities to win it in the extra innings.  As a fan, you were glued to the set knowing that if you walked away for even one second, you could miss the play that decides the game.  As it turned out, that's exactly what happened to me.  A prior commitment prohibited me from seeing the dramatic ending to that legendary game.  But as disappointed as I was that I didn't get to see it live, I was comforted with the thought of all the dramatic finishes I had witnessed in the past, as well as all the improbable endings I'm sure I'll see in the future. 

In retrospect, there are literally hundreds of reasons to watch and enjoy the game of baseball, as there are for any other sport.  But the numbers, the game within the game, and the timeless aspect of America's pastime make it completely unique to any other athletic endeavor. 

So if you're one of those critics who say there isn't enough physical action in baseball to keep you interested, take these three concepts into consideration and see if it changes the way you feel about it.  If it doesn't, then it's simple - baseball isn't the game for you.  But if it does, you'll never watch a baseball game the same way again.