Today I, with 15,000 other fans, crowded unto Minute Maid Park to watch the Oakland Athletics play the Houston Astros. It was a riveting game. The Astros rocketed to victory on a walk off single in the bottom of the 12th. Somewhere in between the top and the bottom of the eighth inning, I noticed something that I never have before at any other sporting event. In front of me were two young married couples who were soon expecting children. To my right were a group of Chinese business men who were on a trip an did not speak a word of English. Behind me were five Hipsters who I quickly became friends with even though they were for Houston and I was pulling for the A's. These observations made me realize that this silly kid's game is honestly more than just a game. It is something which brings people of any race or religion together.
During the course of the game the A's were down by a large number and everyone was assured that the Astros would win quite easily. But then one of Oakland's players hit a towering Home Run into the left field bleachers. I stood up in a sea of blue and orange, the team colors of the Astros, and went crazy. I screamed and yelled, "Yeah let's go A's!" and turned to give high fives to my new friends. They naturally cussed at me, and told me to shut up jokingly and with a smile. But now we were closer through the camaraderie of competition.
That is what makes being a baseball fan so enriching. No matter what is going on in your life you can come to the baseball park and make new friends wherever you sit. That is what everyone does. You sit down, enjoy a cold drink, and let loose enjoying the professional competition between the best athletes in the nation. There is a noticeable difference in Baseball games and other sports even if you are spectating from the comfort of your living room. At football games there is an animosity towards the other teams and their fans. You want them to lose badly and get injured in the process. At basketball games you see the common fan sitting in the nosebleed seats because that all they can afford; while in the lower sections you have your ultra-rich celebrity types only there to make an appearance not to enjoy the game. I felt like I could have become close friends with anyone in that stadium even though it was in Houston, and I was in green and gold.
Maybe this is what we need more of in America. The year 2016 hasn't been the greatest for our nation. Corruption, violence, and hatred has fueled the media. We honestly have never been as divided as we are right now. Politics and the corruption that follows with it have split the nation in have for the upcoming election to the extreme that people are hating people for different political ideologies. Maybe if Trump, Clinton, and Sanders went and sat in right field together they may finally agree on something and bring reformation we need in America. Maybe we all need it. Get your friends or family together and take a road trip to the closest ball park. A major league, minor league, or college game will work and the latter definitely won't be expensive. When you get there make a point of sparking a conversation with someone new wherever you sit. Wherever you walk. Wherever you decide to eat, just make a new friend and enjoy a great game. If you do this you will never have a bad experience at a baseball game.
