It’s beginning to look and feel like spring. The sun is shining, the few birds in Boston are chirping and it’s finally flip-flop weather. If this weather persists, you are looking at the perfect spectator conditions for one of the best spectator sports: baseball.
Growing up in Baton Rouge, La., I was always a huge fan of Louisiana State University baseball. My junior and senior years of high school, I had my own pair of season tickets to the perennially sold out baseball games. These were my tickets, not my parents’ tickets.
In fact, they hardly ever came to a game with me. Instead I took my best friend to every game and we sat through every inning whether it was raining, unbearably hot and humid or unseasonably cold (At some night games, the temperature might drop to a chilly 45 degrees).
When I came to Boston University, I was disappointed that there was no baseball team, because I love eating peanuts and hot dogs while hanging out on a slab of aluminum. I was a bit naive and thought I could probably go to as many Red Sox games as I wanted. Needless to say I’ve been here four years and I’ve only been able to attend two games.
This year I decided to try and fill my baseball void. Seeing as I prefer the experience of baseball games live, not through the television, I ventured down Babcock St. and over to the BU softball field. Softball and baseball are similar enough that I thought this would be a feasible substitute.
Still, my expectations were low. After all, I had played softball in a fun summer league throughout high school and I could barely sit through those games. But I found the home opener versus Central Connecticut State University, especially the first two innings, to be just as exciting as any other BU sporting event.
If you’re a skeptic like me, you’ll need some convincing as to why you should watch a softball team with a losing record. So, here are six reasons (in honor of the current six-game win streak) why you should watch.
Time’s Awastin’
If you’re not a baseball fan, it’s probably because the game moves at a snail’s pace. But softball games are not only two innings shorter, they also move along more rapidly. The pace of softball games is regulated by the pitchers who, unlike their male counterparts, don’t need three minutes between pitches to reload.
Vision Impaired Friendly
If you accidentally forget your glasses, don’t worry, because the giant neon yellow ball is great for spectators with all sorts of vision impairments. So bring out your grandpa and spend some quality time at the ballpark.
Cheerleading Teams
No, the BU cheerleading team doesn’t come to the softball games. I’m happy to say that in the innings I saw, the BU squad was not nearly as obnoxious as the Central Connecticut squad. It seems to me that it would be far more annoying to have people yelling at you as you try to bat than as you try to pitch. And so it’s very entertaining to watch the other team heckle their own players.
So Much to See,
So Much for Free
Not only are these games free — whereas tickets to Fenway rival the cost of an iPod — there are also no assigned seats. That means if you wanted to sit behind the plate, on the right field side, on the left field side or if you wanted to change every inning, chances are you can find whatever seat you want.
Urban Cowboys
With their socks pulled up, this city team looks more like a clip from The Natural. And it seems as if every player on BU’s team has chosen “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy” as her walk-to-the-plate song, giving BU’s softball field that small-town country feel. But, look at it this way, you’re multitasking. Not only do you get to see a game, but the next time you venture to do karaoke you’ll know the first verse of at least one song.
More Bang for Your Buck
The best part about BU softball games is not the home runs (although if you want to see a home run, Liz Alley is the player to watch). The real bang comes with the fly balls. There aren’t little kids running around behind the fence trying to catch the ball, but the excitement comes when one of those foul balls heads straight for the Shaw’s Supermarket parking lot. The anticipation of a ball possibly hitting a parked car is absolutely riveting. I highly recommend not parking near the field.
Susan Marschall, a senior in the College of Communication is a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. She can be reached at [email protected].
