Baseball marches to its own, easygoing rhythm
It's corny. I'll be the first to concede it. It plays into a story line that has been passed from generation to generation for more than 100 years.
But you know what? There is something that just makes baseball a little bit different.
No sport, not the all-powerful National Football League, not the National Basketball Association or the National Hockey League, has the unique vibe that is given off when the start of Major League Baseball is just around the corner.
The explanation for this doesn't always come easy - sometimes you get a blank stare.
Invariably, someone will tell you, "Well, that's just baseball," and suddenly you find yourself nodding in agreement.
It's not necessarily a better sport; that's a matter of taste. But baseball is different from any other sport. There is an ambiance and nostalgia that are real manifestations when you walk into a ballpark.
There is no clock, no real time element.
It's just a game that flows to its own rhythm, one that can be similar game to game - or dramatically different.
Maybe the late Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas summed it up best when he used to say the thing that he loved about baseball was the element of surprise - you never know what you're going to see at the old ballpark.
"I think it's because there is not a time limit set," said Phillies ace Cole Hamels, who was back in Citizens Bank Park with the rest of the Phillies on Friday for the start of their two-game "On Deck Series" with the Toronto Blue Jays. "It's just this game where you're trying to outthink the opponent and you're not worried about a clock.
"There's just a different rhythm and flow to the game. It's summer. Kids are out of school and excited to go out to a ballgame."
It had been about 6 months since the Phillies last played in CBP. About 4 hours before the first pitch, service personnel were already at work prepping the stadium.
Food stands were being scrubbed. Last-minute repairs were being done to stadium seats. Crates of beer, buns and, yes, frozen french fries were being pushed to their designated food kiosks.
Officially, the Phillies don't open the home season until April 5 against the Kansas City, but this dress rehearsal was the first time they played in CPB after nearly 2 months in Florida.
"I've always told people that, to me, Opening Day is like a national holiday," said Phillies television play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy "But this, just to walk into the ballpark, to stand behind home plate, look at how great the grass looks, it makes you think OK, it's the beginning. The slate is clean."
I think maybe it's the length of the season that draws us in. A 162-game marathon that begins in the chilly days of early spring, takes us through the dog days of summer, the unpredictable temperatures of fall, and, hopefully, if you're a team with the aspirations of the Phillies, into the cold nights of late October.
Everything in baseball seems to work at its own pace, and in a hustle-bustle world that moves at 100 mph, the ballpark is a place where it's OK to sit back and take a break, to slow down and enjoy the ambiance of the game and the surroundings.
You can't do that in football, hockey or basketball. The pace is too fast.
"It's so long," said Jim Jackson the Phillies' pre- and postgame host and part-time radio broadcaster, who also does television play-by-play for the Flyers. "You go back to the middle of February for the start of spring training and hopefully through October for the playoffs. That's a long time.
"And it's not like you get a lot of free spaces in that time. It plays into what baseball is. To me, baseball is all about rhythm - whether it is the game itself of the entire season. Opening Day is the start of that.
"For me, hockey is like intensity and excitement in every game, but baseball kind of flows. When people ask which do I like better, baseball or hockey, I say, "Well, I have a son and a daughter. They are so different that it is unbelievable, but I love them both dearly. You can't quantify the love. Baseball and hockey are so different, but I love both sports for what they are."
Down in the Phillies' clubhouse, everything was back to normal. Except for some new faces and names, things were as they've been since CBP opened.
"I'm sure everyone is excited," Hamels said. "They should be. It's the start of what we do, and what we love to do.
"We've worked since we were little kids to be able to play at this level. Now it's about to begin. If that ever gets old, I guess you really shouldn't be around here anymore."
Email: smallwj@phillynews.com
Columns: Philly.com/JohnSmallwood
