An extremely original association

It's October, so I've been watching some baseball. I have to admit I'm not what would be classified as a baseball "fan". I happen to quite like the game itself, but my palette for the major leagues has been tainted by the lack of a salary cap, rampant free agency, and steroid scandals. So, when October rolls around each year, I have no idea who the teams are that are playing for the championship. But, FOX starts broadcasting the games in the evenings and since I have all of six channels to choose from (one of which is PBS), and they play in place of Seinfeld re-runs, I start watching the various series. It turns out they can be quite exciting, though it was a little tragic to see the Mets fan and his ten year old daughter literally weeping after their loss in the game that decided who would go to the World Series from the National League.

But one of the most striking things I've noticed this year is how incredibly valuable a single can be. Something as seemingly insignificant as reaching the first of four bases can quite often be the pivotal point in a game. I started doing some looking and found that some of the greatest comebacks in the history of baseball have been initiated by a single. Why? Well, because it gives the person coming after a chance to perform. Sometimes this person will hit the game winning home run, made possible by the seemingly small contribution in front of them. This makes the single as or more valuable than the home run.

I will now perform a feat that few before me have attempted (okay, it's been completely and possibly overdone, but let's pretend it hasn't). I will associate the game of baseball to life.

The single encourages me to do the seemingly small things that give others a chance to succeed. It reminds me that the apparently unnoticed task done well can inspire and encourage, often doing so in anonymity, but always with the possibility of far reaching benefits. When people are given the chance to do well, they often times do just that...and that's how, to use a fairly dramatic statement, the world is changed for good. I'd say do everything you can to give the person behind you a chance. Who knows, maybe they're a home run hitter and just need a few swings.