I've never been much of a baseball fan. For all that it is America's pastime, I never could figure out why people would play it, much less watch. Baseball is slow, with a lot of nothing happening around a very little bit of something, and not even a time clock ticking down to build anticipation.

Then I had the opportunity to see the Minnesota Twins play the Detroit Tigers at Target Field, and my opinion may have shifted.

Live baseball is so much more than baseball on TV. You've got the sights, sounds and smells you just can't get from your screen. You've got people-watching and stadium exploring for the times you need to stretch your legs. And, of course, there's the food.

I didn't get the chance to sample much more than the standard popcorn (salty goodness) and sundae in a plastic Twins helmet (sugar overload), but I look forward to future visits in which I can sample all the culinary delights the stadium has to offer.

Back to the game. Baseball is still slow. I think batters and pitchers need a play clock, much like NFL quarterbacks or the NBA's shot clock. Keep those swings, hits and misses coming and I'll be a lot more involved in the game. But it's fun seeing just how high those pop flies go, and the excitement of watching a well-executed double play at home plate is hard to beat.

So I guess you could say I no longer hate baseball. Oh, I'll still avoid watching it on TV, and I still think it needs some sort of time limit, but I am beginning to understand its appeal.

Play ball!

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