Baseball holds a special place in the American landscape. Often called “America’s pastime,” this sport elicits many emotions from its fans, which makes it different from so many other sports. Another thing that differentiates it from other sports is how the in-person experience differs from watching it on television. Even though television has become a mainstay in the American household, many people still prefer to go out to baseball games and enjoy the experience of being at the ballpark, especially if they’re active on the best MLB betting sites then you want to see everything unfold in person.
Below, we will look at a few ways that watching baseball in person is dramatically different and often considered better than watching it on television.
Why is baseball better to watch in person?
Sporting leagues pay vast sums of money to secure television deals and, more recently, have ventured into streaming platforms. All in the effort to get more eyes on their sporting programs. But with baseball, there has always been something different about it. People watch baseball on television, but there is often this different feeling a baseball fan gets when they physically go to the game instead of watching it on TV. It’s an experience different from going to a football or a basketball game, making baseball unique. Here are a few reasons why attending a baseball game in person differs from watching it on TV.
- The chance to catch a foul/homerun ball: In other sports, taking home a ball from the actual game is rare. There is often a net shielding the audience, primarily to prevent any injuries but also to prevent people from taking the balls. Even at sporting events with no nets, fans are encouraged to return the ball. But with baseball, even though they also have nets shielding fans behind the plate, there are infinite chances of catching either a foul ball or the coveted home run ball as many balls fly above the net. While getting a baseball from the store is easy, getting an MLB-certified game ball is a different feeling, and it presents the opportunity to get an autograph from the player who fouled the ball.
- The food and drinks: The iconic foods associated with baseball are the hot dogs, pretzels, and nachos. Again, there are many places to get a hotdog, but the tradition of going to a baseball game, buying a hotdog, sitting in your seat, and being surrounded by thousands of other fans as the game commences is an experience that you cannot have when you are sitting home.
- Spend time with friends: Baseball is a slow game that can take up to two hours. It presents a great chance to sit and talk with friends. Sometimes, you may not be in the mood to go to the mall or the beach, but you do not want to sit at home. With its comfortable seats, exposure to fresh air, and an entertaining event in front of your eyes, a baseball game is a great way to spend time with friends. We know that guys love to sit around and chat sports, so chuck in some alcohol, the sport being live and perhaps even a wager with the best MLB betting sites for betting on baseball and you have the perfect recipe to unwind.
- Walk-off wins: As mentioned previously, baseball is a slow sport, but things dramatically change during only one inning. When you see a player hit a walk-off home run or get a base hit, bringing in the winning run in extra innings on television, there is a level of excitement watching it happen. This excitement reaches another level when you watch it in person. As you watch the home run fly into the sky or the ball skip past the second baseman, bringing in the winning run, you get an adrenaline rush when you see your team win and all the players run onto the field in excitement.
- The sounds: You will hear many sounds when sitting at a baseball game. You can listen to the sounds when watching the game on TV, but hearing the crack of the bat in person as a player hits a home run is a sound that sticks with people for a long time. Baseball players also have walk-up music played when they go up to bat. Often, you can not hear these songs on television. These sounds make the in-person experience so much different than watching it on TV.
Conclusion
Baseball is a sport that resonates with so many people. But it’s also one of those sports you appreciate even more once you walk into the ballpark. You can experience the sounds, home runs, and walk-off wins of a baseball game on a TV screen, but they feel different when you are at the game.
