How to Fall in Love With Baseball

Not every game is a perfect one, and dead air is usually dangerous. The listener needs to know what’s going on. Announcers are fond of painting metaphors, and their art is one of quick brushstrokes: calling fastballs from sliders while weaving in novelistic details that transform anonymous bench players into protagonists; a goofy joke if a mic near the dugout gets hot. But no one wants a motormouth. The game comes in and out of focus, just as it would if you could be in the stadium yourself. Certain moments nail your gaze to the field; others provide the opportunity to wander off in search of a kielbasa. Greats like Scully knew this.