"There's something going on in baseball that seems very funny to me. I spent 43 years in baseball, and all my years as a kid playing and loving the game more than life. But today, all I read and hear is negative ... negative ... negative.
Baseball has what no other sport has. It has great suspense. I recently watched the Dodgers and Reds play a 12-inning game. After the Dodgers scored a run to take the lead, they brought in their closer, Todd Worrell, and he got hammered for two quick homers and the Reds won the game. It didn't matter who you were rooting for ... it gave you goose bumps.
... And we somehow forget about it. Baseball is the only sport where you cannot stall out the clock. Each team must get 27 outs. I don't care if it takes two hours or four hours, you must get 27 outs. And this is done 162 times a year.
Baseball is marvelous. Let's stop all the negative, hold firm and realize we have the greatest game in the world."
~ Sparky Anderson, "Sparky's Corner" 1996 in The Sporting News.
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