Thinking About Baseball

The other day we enjoyed a BBQ with friends from church and loaded into a bus to go see a pro Korean baseball game. Eating baked beans followed by riding for an hour in a bus with no windows aren't the best of combinations, but what can you do. Thankfully, we survived the trip with minimal casualties.

Before we left, we were informed that the game might be tamer than usual. Korea's ex-president had died, so there either would be no cheerleaders or no cheering. Later we'd find out the former was the case.

Upon arriving, we made our way through the crowd, got our tickets and found our seats. Some did as the Romans did and bought the Korean baseball noisemakers of choice. They looked like two orange or red plastic inflatable sausages and when banged together sounded like pots and pans. Thankfully, we would discover later, they were surprisingly soft. The seating was close together so we had many opportunities to be so pleasantly surprised. My ears do still have a slight ring to them.

The game began, and being on the orange team's side, we decided to root mostly for them. Later a Korean friend would tell us players' names and help us chant along with the crowd. Until then, and okay, I'll be honest, after then too, I misheard the chants and chanted whatever I heard. My personal favorites were "Might be yours" and "You are gay." Usually I don't shout out things like that, but it was for baseball.

We figured out the scoreboard and gawked a bit at the batting averages. They were between .100 and .200. We'd later find this made for a good game.

Both teams were tied for several innings. Finally, at the end, Orange team pulled out an extra run. The crowd went wild on either side for so much as a base hit. It made for an intense game.

I was glad the orange team beat the white team, because we were mostly cheering for them, but also because I'm a guilty white male and I can't in good conscience root for the white team.

We loaded back on the bus, exhausted but happy. On the way home we'd hear the news--the ex-president had committed suicide. Many Koreans were reportedly in a state of shock. Thankfully, for three hours we were reminded there can still be hope.