Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I decided to include this photo on top of this post in light of the Women’s College World Series – which UCLA was in – that’s currently going on…

As I was watching the NCAA Tournaments in college baseball and softball and the Women’s College World Series – with UCLA being one of the eight teams – on ESPN and ABC these past few weeks,

Due to my enjoying the action that my alma mater’s softball team and the other softball and baseball programs put on display all over the country,

An epiphany came to my gray matter, something which I have felt and was my opinion for a while but never 100% realized…

I enjoy watching the college baseball and softball playoffs and their World Series more than I enjoy watching Major League Baseball, including their World Series and yes – as much as I am a longtime fan of them, even more then the Dodgers!

I know that will surprise and even shock some people who have been perusing of this blog for as long as it has existed, my being a longtime Dodger fan and all;

DISCLAIMER: This should in no way, shape, or form imply or give the impression that I’m no longer a Dodger fan or a fan of MLB, I still enjoy watching the Dodgers and the other National and American League teams on MLB Network

In fact, allow me to explain the reasons why I’ve found myself enjoying the NCAA Regionals, Super Regionals, and College World Series in baseball and softball more than the Dodgers and Angels telecasts on Sports Net LA and Bally Sports West, along with the Sunday Night Baseball telecasts on ESPN…

BASEBALL HAS THE YANKEES, SOFTBALL HAS THIS TEAM: The UCLA Bruins, 13-time national champions and 32-time participants in the Women’s College World Series including this year’s – though unfortunately they lost to Oklahoma and Stanford and were knocked out.

Since this is a Southern California sports blog, due to the name on the jersey I thought this would be the perfect photo to include in this post – Thanks Pixels!

First and foremost…

The passion that the college baseball and softball players exude on screen are completely off the charts;

Every play they make – a hit, a run scored, a strikeout or some other put-out – induces celebrating like they had just won the national championship or even won a million dollars (each) in their Name, Image & Likeness deals.

Which was and is particularly the case in the softball playoffs and Women’s College World Series currently going on in Oklahoma City.

The way those young ballplayers celebrate after everything positive that happens would probably rub old-school sports people from previous generations the wrong way;

Even I found myself thinking how they go a bit overboard after making an easy routine play on the field or hitting a single.

Indeed, I remember seeing a documentary (I believe) in which New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle mentioned how whenever he hit a home run, he always simply put his head down and quickly jogged around the bases because he didn’t want the pitcher who he blasted the ball off of to feel worse than he already did.

But if I were the college players’ coach – in baseball or softball,

While I honestly wouldn’t be the biggest fan of such celebratory antics, preferring to have them “act like they’ve been there before” and saving the wild celebrating for after they had won the “natty”,

I wouldn’t forbid such enthusiasm either; I would let them do their thing as I’m not a totalitarian type of coach that rides my players for every little gesture or expression.

It’s the passion that those young men and women radiate on the diamond that I’m sure has increased the interest of the fans and the TV wiewers;

It sure has increased my interest, especially after I saw Texas and Texas A&M, two universities involved in one of the most bitter college sports rivalries in the country – clash in both the baseball and softball regionals;

Any rivalry which features the two schools’ football teams brawling during the pregame warm-ups, before even the referees had shown up, as was the case with those Longhorns and Aggies in 1989, would induce much interest with me;

They made the Crosstown Rivalry between UCLA and USC look like a love fest!

Another reason why I enjoy watching the college baseball/softball postseason more then their MLB counterparts:

It’s related to the passion that those young players exude;

For about 99.999% of them, especially in softball, playing for their college teams is “The Show”, having been among the very blessed seven percent of high school athletes that achieved the opportunity to play ball in college at any level.

Only two percent of those college baseball players will ever get a paycheck to wear a Major League uniform.

And with the pro softball leagues in this country totaling roughly 120 players, out of the 31,729 athletes playing college softball,

The percentage of them getting the opportunity to play in Athletes Unlimited or Women’s Professional Fast Pitch is about 0.003%!

So it’s no wonder that those players are exuding a passion and enthusiasm on a pronounced level out there;

It’s most likely the last time all but roughly one percent of them will ever put on a baseball or softball uniform, which I completely get and respect.

I saw it in the faces of UCLA’s softball team when they lost to Stanford in this year’s College World Series, which ended their season as quite a few of those Bruins, particularly the seniors, were in tears and getting tight hugs from their coaches and teammates.

Anyhow…

Watching the college baseball and softball postseason has been quite enjoyable for me,

And will undoubtedly continue to be enjoyable later this month when the Men’s College World Series, which decides baseball’s national champion, commences in Omaha, NE.

Even though UCLA won’t be in it as they had a pathetically bad season,

I’m looking forward to seeing the passion that those guys will show.