Sunday Just Reaffirmed That I'm Not a Big Baseball Fan Anymore

On Sunday, I sat and watched a little bit of every game. With my NFL Sunday Ticket package, I had my TV flipping around games and my computer on the Red Zone channel.

I forgot completely that the baseball playoffs were also going on.

Why? I don't care as much anymore. I'm not a big baseball fan anymore. I've known it for years but I think I'm finally fine with it.

Please don't say that I just don't understand baseball. When I was young, baseball was my life. My grandpa coached Pete Rose in Knothole League. My uncle played for the Red Sox, White Sox and Indians and managed the Reds and Braves. My dad taught me everything as my youth coach. I just KNEW I was going to play professional baseball -- even if it was just the minors. It's all I cared about.

Not anymore.

Baseball has lost me. There is no single moment that drove me away. I just grew out of it. Now, I love the NFL. I love the NBA. I love college basketball. Those three would be my groomsmen. Baseball would get to be an usher.

Baseball isn't as accessable to me anymore. I know I can carve out 3 hours for a football game or 2 1/2 hours for some hoops action. Baseball? Who knows? That is picking nits, but it does matter when trying to fit it around your life.

Baseball also seems to have this line of thinking that players 50 years ago are better than players today. I've always said that the 0-16 Lions would beat the 17-0 Dolphins if they ever played. Football players are much faster, bigger and stronger than ever. Same goes to the NBA where guys built like Wilt Chamberlain are now shooting threes. But baseball fans believe that Mickey Mantle would still destroy today's pitchers. That kind of puts me off.

Also, the weird way that baseball has "embraced" technology. They finally have replay for home run calls ... but nothing else. Replay would have been helpful on that horrible call on Mauer's double that was ruled foul. Aside from balls and strikes, baseball is probably the easiest game to review. Was he safe or out? Fair or foul? Catch or trap? Not much else to look at. And give me all the crap about it would slow the game more than it already is. Would a quick look at the replay of that take as long as ... say ... a manager going out and arguing a call?

Heck, they put a left field umpire out there to pretty much just make THOSE CALLS and he can't do that right.

Saturday's Phillies-Rockies game was postponed because of the cold weather. Tonight's game may be the coldest in playoff history. We better hope for a Dodgers-Angels World Series so we don't have frigid temps in Denver, Philadelphia or New York in a November Series.

Yes, November. A month where college football is winding down, the NFL is in its second half, the NBA and NHL are in full swing and college basketball teams are practicing. Oh, and when World Series games are played. This is the "summer game". The other sports work well in cold weather ... but watching cold baseball just sucks. Just wait until Minnesota's next trip to the postseason and games are being held at frigid open-aired Target Field.

Also, playoff baseball goes on too long. The most memorable World Series I've ever saw was the 1991 Twins-Braves meeting. I missed most of the endings of those games because I was a junior in high school and had to go to sleep. When I woke up the next morning, I'd turn it on the ESPN to see who won that game.

I'm typing this as the Phillies-Rockies game is ending. I've probably watched a total of 12 innings of baseball this postseason. I've watched two preseason NBA games this weekend and sat through 10 hours of NFL action. I'm not saying I hate baseball at all. I'll keep an eye on the playoffs and definitely the World Series. It just doesn't grab me like it used to.