Baseball

The sound of a baseball hitting a bat is the heartbeat of America. The game of stick and ball has been around for centuries and has evolved into the game we now know and love. On average, a major league baseball only sees a few pitches at most. Nearly 100 baseballs are used in every major game. So you may ask, why could one ball be so significant? Sometimes it’s not necessarily the object that is so important, but the memories that are associated with it.

I’ve had my baseball for a little over two years now. To be clear, I have an abundant amount of baseballs that I’ve collected over the years, probably more than the average person, and many are worth way more than this old beat up one, but this specific ball is very near and dear to me. In fact, I don’t leave home without it. I acquired this ball my sophomore year of high school. The softball team was taking a trip to the baseball cages to get some hacks and after we were done hitting, and getting ready to head back to our own field, I found this baseball lying on the ground in a tangle of weeds and netting. There was just something about this specific ball. I put this find in my softball bag and never looked back.

The summer before junior year was an exciting time for me, because I was finally 16 and that meant I could finally drive. In August, I got my first car and the baseball was my first passenger, and claimed a seat in my cup holder. The baseball has been on every trip I’ve ever taken, whether that’s down the street or across the state. When I take longer trips or don’t have my car, the baseball travels on my person. In fact, my ball has probably done more traveling than most people. It’s been to New York, Florida, Washington D.C., Brazil twice, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, and Missouri of course. Some of my friends think the baseball is a little weird or silly, but they’re just mad that it gets priority seating in my car.

I couldn’t tell you why the baseball has become so important to me, but I don’t know what I’d do without it. Baseball represents a bigger picture in the world. It’s not just a game, but a lifestyle. People say that about most sports, and while that’s true, baseball is a team game that you play individually. Baseball is a game that brings out the kid in you, while still developing the adult in you, and a game of catch can start a lifelong friendship. You will talk about the memories made at the ball field for the rest of your life and can pass the traditions on when you’re no longer able to play. Baseball was, is, and always will be the greatest game known to man, and I think my baseball is a small reminder of that bigger picture.