I've been looking over the first couple of weeks' posts here on the blog, and I've had a Great Baseball Revelation: I'd rather watch and talk about great pitching and great defence than guys hitting the ball out of the ballpark any day of the week. I'm not saying the Barry Bonds of this world are not fun, but I sometimes just get fed up of watching the ball go over the fence time after time (of course, the words 'watching' should be taken with a pinch of salt, as I don't actually get to see any MLB games here in France - just the occasional highlight on MLB.com, when my broadband connection at work is functioning correctly - but you see the point I'm making...). Bonds hitting the ball with that great swing is indeed a thing of beauty, but watching Torii Hunter rob Bonds of a home-run at the outfield wall in last year's All-Star Game was a moment of pure perfection.

The A's Jermaine Dye making yet another great catch at the wall, Jeter and Soriano (or any other combination you care to name) turning a perfectly-executed double-play in Yankee Stadium, the Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki throwing out the runner going from 1st to 3rd, from deep in right-field - these are the reasons why I love baseball.

Even when I play, I'd rather be fielding batting practice than taking it - if ever baseball creates a DF (a Designated Fielder) position for those who can field but can't hit a lick, rest assured that I'll be first in line to play!