ABSTRACT
Baseball", wrote syndicated columnist and baseball rhapsodist George F. Will, "is heaven's gift to struggling mortals". Indeed, baseball, to some extent like other sports, is "a way of looking at life", one that teaches a subtle form of exquisite pleasure. Baseball has a powerful emotional bond and tie to home plate, both literally and symbolically, as it is the centre of the baseball universe. Baseball is often a child's first introduction to the adult world, and its heroes are great men whose remarkable accomplishments can be grasped and internalised. In acting and baseball, achieving excellence requires a total commitment of mind, body, and soul. Baseball's zany fans are also uniquely obsessed with statistics. Baseball players and fans also provide a powerful context for observing the dynamics of faith and hope, which can be uplifting to observe. However, as in everyday life, there can be a rough justice in baseball.
