America’s Pastime
Baseball’s opening day is nearly here, but fewer people care. Will a new generation even give it a chance? Our son loved baseball. A day at the ballpark brought plenty of excitement. Well, back then it was easier to keep a kid’s attention before the hyper-digital age. Besides the aura of the stadium and seeing a live game, some of the friendly MLB players would take time to sign autographs beforehand. Talk about inspiring a young ball player! Recently a sportswriter lamented that baseball has lost its appeal. We just don’t move at a nine-inning pace anymore. That may be true, but listen to how much we talk baseball: For the successful sales team: “They hit it out of the park” How about when we need a rough estimate of a repair: “Can you ballpark it?” When someone lets you down: “He dropped the ball.” Or if you want to encourage more effort: “Hey, step up to the plate.” When someone is undermining...