Play Ball!

Baseball Season Has Begun. Hooray! Time For A Tea Ceremony

Not a fan? Read On – I Bet You Will Like This

Let’s Take A Short Break From Politics

This is one of my favorite times of year, the start of the baseball season. Everyone is a World Series contender at this point. Spring training gave some hints, but unlike sports like football, the baseball season is long, with something over 160 games for each team to rise to the occasion. A momentary burst of excellence will not cut it. You have to be in it consistently for the long haul to take the prize in baseball. A major league baseball season overall consists of close to 2,500 games. Tons of opportunity therein to excel – or to fall flat on your face.

As it is for teams, so too is it for individual players. Batting is a perfect example. Someone who bats over 300 is considered a real slugger, a major success. Batting 300 means that person connected successfully with the ball only 1 time out of 3. Two disappointments for every happy result. Not a game for the weak of heart or inattentive to detail.

So, What Does That Tea Party Comment Mean?

I grew up literally on the same street as a AAA minor league ballpark. I spent a LOT of time soaking up the many layers of baseball. One of the things I learned early is that baseball is steeped in tradition, in form, and in revered processes. Much of this can be seen in the pregame period, wherein players are warming up and the field is getting final preparations for the game.

It occurred to me some years ago, not long after I started this blog that much of the ceremony and tradition of baseball are very similar to those in a Japanese tea ceremony. The latter is something I know little about, but enough to be impressed by it all.

I wrote about this comparison several years ago. The posting generated a good amount of comments. I think (and hope) that after reading the blog, some people went to their first baseball game and some people went to their first tea ceremony.

So, in honor of all that, and the start of this year’s season, I am pleased to reprint the posting from July 19, 2019. Hope you enjoy it.

What Do Baseball and Japanese Tea Ceremonies Have in Common?

Almost Everything, As A Matter Of Fact

An Unlikely Pairing

On a recent Summer night, as I was enjoying a home game of our local minor league baseball team, I had an epiphany at the bottom of the fifth inning.

I had run into a friend at the game, and she said, “I love baseball, but sometimes it seems so slow.” Others have said the same, of course, but I always felt that was not correct. Why did I not feel as they do? As I pondered that question, fortified by my cracker jacks, I realized why I did not see a slow game.

Seeing With Different Vision

I see baseball differently because to me, the game is much like a Japanese tea ceremony. I am the first to admit I am no expert on that Japanese custom, but I know enough to recognize the similarities.

Think about it. The Japanese tea ceremony is a bastion of tradition and ritual. Every gesture, every choice, every item has meaning. There are countless things going on beyond what is happening at any given moment besides with the tea pot or a cup. The whole thing is a mix of individual actions and a collective whole.

Baseball fans, does any of that sound familiar? Of course it does. What is going on between the pitcher and the batter is only the first level of the game. Check to see what are the base coaches doing? Are the relief pitchers warming up (or not)? How is the communication between the pitcher and the catcher?

How is the defense positioning itself in anticipation of what is to happen next? What are the fans saying and reflecting? Which players are making moves to the big leagues and which ones know they have already peaked (and many are fine with that – they still played professional ball, every kid’s dream)? What does the atmosphere say about the relationship between the town, the owners and the players?

And on it goes, for countless layers. I am not a big sports fan, but I know enough to say with modest confidence that no other sport has this kind of depth and complexity. The pace of the game can be slow, but that allows one the time to study and to reflect on what is unfolding all around the ballpark.

It is fascinating stuff, a delightful mix of athletics, human drama, and unintended consequences. And some of the most interesting data points imaginable. No game uses statistics like baseball.

Play Ball! Or Prepare The Tea

If you have not been to a ball game for a while, treat yourself. Get your head into the experience and look around. What do you see now? Of course, you could do the same with a tea ceremony, too.

Maybe I will combine the two. At my next game, perhaps I will forego a cold beer for a hot cup of tea. On second thought, scratch that idea.

Bill Clontz

If you find this blog worthy of your time and curiosity, I invite you to do three things:

(1) Join the conversation. Your voice counts here. If you wish to share COMMENTS anonymously, make the last word in your comment “PRIVATE.” I will assure your privacy via anonymity.

(2) Share the word about this post with friends and colleagues. Share a link in your emails and social media posts (https://agentsofreason.com).

(3) You are welcome to share this post with anyone. It is easy to pass on via email, of course, but also on Facebook, Blue Sky, or Reddit; simply click on the links for these services at the end of this article.

Let’s grow our circle.