It’s the magic that keeps young men playing, young girls watching, and old folks remembering.
Good sportsmanship is a virtue. Like most virtues, it requires a certain amount of self-restraint. A good sport forgoes instant gratification for that which is more lasting. A good sport sacrifices personal glory for that which sustains the team. Perhaps more important, good sportsmanship requires grace. Grace enough to bear defeat without complaining and to enjoy victory without boasting.
Fans have lived through March Madness, and the national championship in football has been won. And now baseball, the great national pastime, is in full swing. Whether from Wrigley Field or a small neighborhood park, baseball unites us. Hearing the crack of a bat, seeing the dust from a well-maneuvered slide, smelling the popcorn, listening to the singsong chatter of players as they encourage their teammates, all generate feelings that cannot be measured or explained.
