Baseball: A Sport That Brings Us Together

Baseball diamond

How America’s Pastime Unites Friends, Fans, and Communities

For as long as it’s been around, baseball has held a special place in the hearts of most Americans without regard for age, background, or allegiance. Whether you’re cheering for your local team or supporting a lifelong favorite from afar, there’s something magical about the way baseball brings people together, regardless of who you are, where you come from, or who you root for. Baseball is a great common ground for people to gather. Friendships are born here. Rivalries are formed or rekindled, and the emotions of the crowd ebb and flow with the action on the field. No matter what lies beyond the ballpark gates, the friendly confines are just that, even if you’re wearing the visiting team’s colors. A day at the ballpark with a few good friends—and even some new friends you may not have met yet—is a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, even if it's just for a little while.

Why Baseball Unites Us

In a way, baseball parks are their own little world. They have their own ecosystem. When I walk through those turnstiles, I forget the world outside. The game, the people around me, and the sounds of the ballpark are all that matter. The anticipation between pitches, the crack of the bat, and the ebbs and flows of crowd emotion make up the soundtrack to what I consider a great way to spend a summer day. The best part for me is the bonds that baseball creates among its fans, even between complete strangers. I remember one group of gentlemen that my friend Stan, who you’ll meet later in this piece, met a group of gentlemen while tailgating—I know, how Wisconsin of us, right—who were some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. They shared some of their snacks with us, had a beer with us, and talked baseball and life. For me, that was just another example of baseball being the common thread that brings people together in the summer.

Photo of Stan and I at American Family Field July 2023

Milwaukee Memories: A Summer Day at the Ballpark

A couple summers ago, Stan and I planned a trip to Milwaukee to watch the Brewers and Braves play each other. I’ve included a picture from that day above this section. It was a getaway day, and I was excited about this game. Chris Sale had joined the Braves the previous offseason and this was his day to pitch. Even though I was in enemy territory, the energy in the ballpark was contagious. I saw a lot of red and blue in the stands to go with the home blue and gold, which made me feel less like an enemy and more like just another fan. We had good seats, a good view, and concession stands nearby. I had a feeling this was going to be a good game and a good day all around.

 We sat just above the visitor's bullpen in right field. There were stands behind us serving food and drinks, and we had beers and old-fashioned cocktails throughout the game. One particular part of the game that stands out to me, though I can’t remember offhand what inning it was, was a home run that I thought wasn’t a home run. Travis d’Arnaud, the Braves starting catcher that day, hit a fly ball to right field I lost in the sun. There wasn’t a big reaction from the crowd, so I’d assumed Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick had caught it.

“Dadgum it. He just missed.” That’s what I thought, anyway.

“No he didn’t. It’s in the bullpen.” Paraphrased quote from Stan.

I looked up to see Travis rounding the bases. The Braves ended up winning the game, and that home run ended up being one of many cheer worthy events, but that was one that stuck out to me. The only unfortunate part about it was the nearest Braves fan was three rows away. My excitement was tempered with a sense of isolation. Fellow fans were nice in the parking lot in typical Midwestern fashion. But once the game started and the teams were between the lines, allegiances were clear. We were all fans. That common thread brought us together, no matter what team colors we wore. It’s a day I’ll remember for the rest of my days. That day, I wasn’t a guy with a disability. I was just another fan, and that’s the way I liked it. I can’t thank Stan enough for that experience. 

Stan and I in Beloit May 2023

Spring Baseball Under the Lights: Beloit Sky Carp Game May 2023

A couple of months earlier, Stan and I went to a Midwest League game in Beloit, Wisconsin, close to where I grew up. Stan had gotten tickets to prepare for his birthday and asked if I’d like to go with him. Being the avid baseball fan that I am, I didn’t hesitate. ABC Supply Stadium has a unique charm to it. The year-round geese occasionally flying above the field—the origin of the team's relatively new mascot name—is among the many unique charms of this ballpark. The staff, in true Midwestern fashion, is friendly. You meet a unique type of people at games like this. Some of them are longtime Beloit residents supporting their home team. Others are from out of town or otherwise just passing through. Stan and I were part of the latter group, but the people around us made us feel at home. 

I remember the Sky Carp were playing the South Bend Cubs. As a Braves fan, it was interesting because former Braves farmhand Bryce Ball was playing first base for South Bend that day. It was interesting in that Ball was part of the trade with the Cubs that sent postseason hero Joc Pederson to Atlanta ahead of their championship run that season. Though it was a losing effort with South Bend coming away with a 9-4 win on the strength of a 5-run third inning, Stan and I had a good time together. We rated the prospects we say, the most noticeable of which was infield prospect Jacob Berry, who started at third base that day. Last I looked as of this writing, Berry is with the Marlins AAA affiliate in Jacksonville. We discussed our thoughts on where we thought Berry and other prospects would be at that point the next season, conversations we’d had many times over beers and lunch in the past. I didn’t have too many other friends who took an active role in sharing my baseball hobby with me, and I can’t thank Stan enough for the experiences we had.

Stan: The Friend Who Has Made Baseball Better

No recent baseball story in my life would be complete without mentioning Stan and how our friendship has grown thanks to our mutual love of baseball. I remember well the day I first met him. He worked at my local bowling alley as a cook and bartender. I’d gone down there on a particular September day to have beers with my dad as a late birthday gift. That day, unbeknownst to any of us, would be the start to a baseball-centered friendship that has only grown over the last 11 years. We started out just talking baseball when I would sit at the bar while he was working. As time went on, it grew to late-night Facebook conversations full of baseball speculation. Then, in 2023, the trips to baseball games began. The best part about it was when we went to those games, I wasn’t a guy with a disability that everyone looked sideways at. I was just a friend and another fan. It was a feeling I hadn’t felt in years, and it was the beginning of a friendship that I have grown to treasure.

Stan is also an avid follower of this blog. He makes it a point to let me know what he thinks of anything I write, good or bad. I value his feedback, both as a friend and as a reader. He, like my friend Steve that I’ve mentioned before, is one of the people who has always maintained that I should be making some money with what I’m doing. I’ve told them both the same thing I tell everyone. I write about what I love—in this case baseball and my friends—and if I can make money doing it, it’s a bonus. I love writing, and I love baseball. I can’t thank Stan enough for being one friend who supports both passions equally. As i sit here today, I can only hope there are more baseball games in store for us, and with them more opportunities for me to experience the friends and the sport that inspires me every day. 

Final Thoughts: More Than Just a Game

Baseball always has been and always will be, more just a game. It’s more than runs and outs. It’s a place where people from all walks of life find common ground, a common thread that weaves us together. No matter who you root for, baseball welcomes everyone. Grab a ticket, bring a friend (like Stan or me), have a beer and watch a game with us. Because in baseball, we’re all on the same team.

.