According to The Society For American Baseball Research, there are a total of eight ways in which a batter can reach first base in the game of baseball.

Now if you are a baseball fan or simply a fan of sports in general, you most likely read the above statement and attempted to pinpoint all aspects of this 90-foot octet. Well, if you named base hit, walk, dropped third strike, error, fielder's choice, catcher interference, umpire interference and hit by pitch, then you knocked it out of the park! If not, don’t feel bad -- you are in the majority. Wholly understanding of the game of baseball is not easy. The way that a player gets on first base is not the only confusing part of the game; there is an innumerable amount odd rules. This is just a prime example of the complexity, intricacy and convolution that is the game that we fell in love with.

If you think about it, there are more than a few things in life that are enjoyed because of their complexity. The interesting part of this concept is that most of the time the thought of this is kept deep in the caves of our subconscious. For example, why is it that we enjoy puzzles so much? Is it because we enjoy the pretty picture that we see after we have finished? Our initial answer to this question would be “yes,” but if that were the case, wouldn’t we just buy the picture and avoid the inconvenience? The reason that we enjoy puzzles is because our mind wants to be stimulated; we want a challenge. We crave for a challenge. The same thing goes while attempting to court a mysterious person of the opposite sex. These people that often play “hard-to-get” do it for a reason. Just like with a puzzle, a challenge awaits us. The end result? Love? Marriage? Sex? Perhaps. However, a girl who will date anyone is much less enticing than the girl that is always standoffish. The end result could potentially be easier to achieve with the former of the two women, yet we take the harder path. It is a bizarre and disgusting phenomenon, but is a natural occurrence is current society. The reason? You guessed it: the desire for challenge. In a sense, dating, puzzles and baseball are not all that different. At their core, they are all about just trying to figure something out, and that is part of where our passion comes from.

“Baseball is a game between two teams of nine players each, under direction of a manager, played on an enclosed field in accordance with these rules, under jurisdiction of one or more umpires.”- Major League Baseball Official Rules (1.01)

Now, if you are a baseball fan or simply a fan of sports in general, you most likely read the above statement and thought to yourself, “that is the stupidest, most obvious thing I have ever read.” I 100 percent agree with you. But in all honesty, baseball is an obvious and simple game. I know, I know, I am contradicting myself; but hear me out. Maybe baseball is not that complicated after all. There are very few things in life that are easier to understand than “catch this ball,” “hit that ball,” “run.” These are not difficult concepts and can basically be interpreted by people of all ages. At the risk of opposing my previous statements, perhaps these are just prime examples of the purity, simplicity and straightforwardness that is the game we fell in love with.

If you think about it, there are more than a few things in life that are enjoyed because of their simplicity. The interesting part of this concept is that most of the time the thought of this is kept deep in the caves of our subconscious. Take the activity of hunting for instance. There are very few activities that are more primitive than hunting. It is simple: kill to eat. For some reason, us humans still enjoy this activity. Perhaps it is the thrill of achieving our goal. Perhaps it is the great taste of meat we enjoy afterward. While these might be the case, it is most likely because we enjoy the steadiness of waiting and keeping in touch with the instincts of our ancestors. Simplicity is key in hunting just as it is in the game of baseball.

-Hey, Dad... you wanna have a catch?

-I'd like that.

Now, if you are a baseball fan, or simply a fan of sports in general, you most likely read the above statement and knew that this came out of a beautiful movie titled, “Field of Dreams.” You also know that this is the only moment in a man’s life where it is socially acceptable to cry at the end of a movie. You know that all of the previous garbage about complexity and simplicity is just unsupported scientific theory that will never be proven. You also know that the reason it will never reach a conclusion is because it is impossible to determine why we love the game. You cannot describe the feeling of arriving at your first Major League game as a kid. You cannot describe the feeling of playing catch in the backyard with your father. You cannot describe that distinct scent of the stadium. It is not a scientific experiment. It is not an obscure allegory that is above everyone’s head. It is not a concept that can be summed up in a thousand words. It is not a concept that could be summed up in an infinite amount of words. It is an activity that a man turns to when there are no words to be spoken. It is a man’s first love. It is a man’s last love. It is baseball.