One day in 1984, I decided to listen to a baseball game on KMOX from start to finish. I wrote down the starting lineups and prepared to take notes on the game. There weren't many highlights to record, however, as the St. Louis Cardinals won, 1-0, over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The game was essentially over in the first inning.
I thought back to that game today, as I listened to the Cardinals play the Kansas City Royals. Once again, the Cardinals won, 1-0, and the only scoring happened in the first inning. As inning after inning passed with no further scoring, I considered turning off the game. I didn't, however.
That's the dilemma radio listeners face with pitchers' duels. Do you give up and read the highlights online later, or do you stay the course? Sometimes, it's best to keep listening. After all, the listener owes that to--well, no one, actually. Still, once you've invested enough time in a game, you might as well listen until it ends. A baseball broadcast isn't just about the final score. It's about the suspense of wondering how each batter will respond to a pitcher's throws. It's about the ambience of the crowd, the announcers' asides, and today, at least, wondering if the game will be completed before it rains too heavily.
In a world that's too frequently impatient, it's good to slow down sometimes and take in the low drama of a low-scoring baseball game.
