Popcorn, hot dogs, and a home run
Baseball is one of North America’s biggest sports and from spring to late autumn (fall) matches occur each and every day all over the continent. It is the game that children are bought up on and forms a large slice of the cultural backdrop. Who has not heard an American refer to something strange as ‘out of left field’ or a big win as ‘he’s hit a home run’? All derived from the game of baseball. It is, however, a game that outside America is very little known. The distinctions, the rules, the history, the excitement and the entertainment it brings is, in short, quite amazing.
In essence it’s a very simple game. Somebody throws a ball at a batsman. The batsman has to use his tickling stick (baseball bat) to hit it as far as he can and if he succeeds run around some bases to score a run. The fielders try to prevent him from doing that. Each team has nine innings unless it’s a draw after nine and whomever scores the most runs wins. This, however, is only half the story. Baseball is a fantasy of terms and nuances including fast balls, curve balls, mounds, foul balls, bull pens, bunts, stolen bases, double play and the even more elusive triple play. This may sound boring but like any sport the more you get a handle on it the more enjoyment you will derive. A professional game of baseball is, however, fun from the get go and you don’t have to be an expert in any way to enjoy it. Various spectator traditions such as beer, popcorn, hot dawgs, seventh innings stretch and the singing of the stars and stripes at the start of each game all add up to a good time.
In Chicago they have one of the old-style baseball grounds called Wrigley Field, home to the Chicago Cubs where many of the terms and traditions started. It is the American equivalent of a neighbourhood stadium such as Goodison Park or Craven Cottage. Built in the urban areas for local people to walk to and support their team. In 1927 it set up the forerunner of most professional sports stadia by getting its name from its main owner and sponsor Wrigley as in the chewing gum . The name has stuck (!) since. It has been used as a backdrop for many films and was the real life setting for the All American woman’s baseball that played during World war two and was the basis for the film ‘A League of their Own’.
I can thoroughly recommend baseball even if you’re not a sports fan. It’s a slice of American life, it’s fun, it’s cheap and it’s safe. If you’re in Chicago or anywhere near make a trip to Wrigley Field and see the Cubs chew up the opposition.
Hotel: www.essexinn.com
Car : www.avis.co.uk
Gum: www.wrigley.com
Ball: chicago.cubs.mlb.com
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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