Have you ever wondered why baseball is referred to as our national pastime? Even the poet Walt Whitman called it ‘‘America’s game.” Although baseball comes in a distant third to football and basketball in television ratings, the game remains our national sport because it resonates more deeply in America’s heart than any other sport, inciting fierce loyalties that span generations.
Baseball is back! Unlike last summer, fans of the national pastime once again fill the stands while scarfing down hot dogs and cheering themselves hoarse. Have you wondered why baseball is referred to as the national pastime? It comes in a distant third to football and basketball in television ratings, yet, ratings aside, the game remains the national pastime because it resonates more deeply in America’s heart than any other sport, inciting fierce passions and loyalties that span generations.