The Greatest Play in all of Sport

From the Official Rules of Major League Baseball:

Rule 10.07(g) Comment: The scorer shall consider, in judging whether the defensive team has been indifferent to a runner’s advance, the totality of the circumstances, including the inning and score of the game, whether the defensive team had held the runner on base, whether the pitcher had made any pickoff attempts on that runner before the runner’s advance, whether the fielder ordinarily expected to cover the base to which the runner advanced made a move to cover such base, whether the defensive team had a legitimate strategic motive to not contest the runner’s advance or whether the defensive team might be trying impermissibly to deny the runner credit for a stolen base.

This is "defensive indifference." Basically, if the scorer decides that, given the situation of the game and the behavior of the defensive team, the defense just doesn't really care if a baserunner steals a base, that runner does NOT get credit for a stolen base. "We don't care, so you don't get to pad your stats."

How can anyone argue that baseball is not the greatest game in the world? Especially with a rule like this in the book. It's so cruel. You get no credit for doing a good thing for your team if the other team doesn't care. That's kind of heartbreaking.

But baseball is cruel. All-Stars fail 70% of the time. Batting champs fail 65% of the time. Legends fail 60% of the time. There are three things that go up on the scoreboard-- runs, hits, and errors. You screw up, it goes up on the board for everyone to see. For the rest of the game. Baseball doesn't forgive.

Except that it does. Because you play again tomorrow, and the slate is wiped clean. And then you play again the next day. And the next. Every day you begin again, clean and new. And when does baseball season begin? When life returns to the world, in spring. Baseball is about crushing disappointment and unyielding hope. At the same time.

I'm glad it's spring.