I had the pleasure yesterday of watching a baseball game on television that held my attention while reminding me of simpler times. In honor of their 60th year of baseball, the Chicago Cubs were broadcast (for the first two innings) in black and white, with limited camera angles, and hardly any graphics displayed on the screen. For the first time in a long time, I enjoyed watching a baseball game.
While others in the bar near me grew weary of not having the score and strike count on constant display, I found it refreshingly serene. It was kind of nice to not know everything all the time. With fewer cameras pointed at the field, a single camera would hold its gaze on a given athlete for what seemed like an eternity. All I could do was watch and study the player as he'd wait for the pitch to get the action started. This was immensely enjoyable.
I found myself concentrating more than usual. If I wanted to know the score, I'd have to remember back to the last time I saw it. If I missed a pitch, then the strike count might be a mystery to me. Watching this throwback game made me wish I had a switch on my remote at home that would let me watch all sporting events in black and white and with limited graphics whenever I felt like it.
Alas, after those first two innings of nostalgia, the production was back to the baseball that I left behind over five years ago. High-tech graphics splashed upon the screen once again, hiding the more quiet nuances of the game way back in the distance. Bored again, I paid my tab and made my way out of the bar and down the street. I wonder when baseball will grab my attention like that again.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the clip below. It's not from the game I watched today but it is from the same era.
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