A video circulated online today that I thought captured, to some extent, why I like baseball quite a bit.

The video is of young Houston Astro Carlos Correa driving the ball deep into the outfield, and he trots it out for a double. He is greeted at second by fellow young player/All Star/wunderkind Francisco Lindor of the Cleveland Indians, who also happens to be a shortstop like Correa, and his main challenger in 2015 race for the AL Rookie of the Year (which Correa won).

Here’s a video of Lindor’s greeting of Correa at the bag:

It’s an interesting fraternity, the ballclub.

Ball players are pretty strong individuals and fairly independent although they are cogs on a team. Consider the development of “walk-up music” for the home club’s batters- music played as a player makes his way from the on-deck circle to the batter’s box. The walk-up song is a song he chooses, which he identifies with a certain taste, a certain sound. Some guys choose rap. Some guys choose Latin beats. Some guys choose country. But in a ballgame, they get to broadcast a song that stands for their individuality as a player on the team.

But they are still a player on the team.

As for team life, I know it isn’t all simply fun and games, like Bryzzo make it seem. Pro sports is ultimately about money- gate receipts, hot dogs sold, jerseys bought related to players on each team. The player’s make some pretty good change.

But money aside, the sport is still supposed to be considered seriously.

And so, because of that, ball players have to get along, and work with one another to get the wins.

Which is another reason why I think I like baseball so much.

Baseball guys, grown men, high five a lot. Like crazy. Base coaches with ball players on base after they get a hit. The on deck guy with the fello who just came in to score a run. Watch after a dude scores a run and makes his way into the dugout of any decent team- or a pitcher comes out of the came. They walk down that dugout and bump fists or bang helmets or slap hands with every dude in the dugout.

That’s a lot of encouragement and support, saying “I got your back, and you got mine, man.”

Baseball players affirm each other a lot= physically, tangibly. Because that’s what teammates do.

And so, back to the Lindsor-Correa video.

Baseball is a business, with serious money to be made, and serious money spent on fields, stands, marketing, and players.

It’s nice to see that depsite the business side, baseball is also a sport and a game, enjoyed by some guys who play it passionately. In this case, the two men playing it up on the bases in the video are two guys who, despite their immense potentials as long time stars in the league, are still two kids- two friends- who delight in just playing the game.

Support your brother, love your work.

Can’t beat that.

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