More fundamentally, it is a dream that does not die with the onset of manhood: the dream is to play endlessly, past the time when you are called home for dinner, past the time of doing chores, past the time when your body betrays you past time itself. John Thorn betraybodycall share on social
One of the first lessons he or she learns is that in baseball anything, absolutely anything, can happen. Just two days ago as I write this, something happened that had never happened in baseball before. John Thorn absolutelyagobaseball share on social
Do we settle on a regional team because we can go to its ballpark and see its games on television? Or do we choose a team as our favorite because it has an especially appealing player, a Barry Bonds or an Ichiro? John Thorn appealballparkbarry share on social
We are fans because the game also appeals to our local pride, our pleasure in thinking of ourselves as, yes, Americans but nonetheless different from residents of other towns, other states, other regions. John Thorn americanappealfan share on social
But the citizens of Cincinnati loved their Reds because they won, no matter what their addresses had been the year before. They rooted for the Old-English 'C' on the players' shirts. John Thorn addresscincinnaticitizen Change image and share on social
Award trophies, as opposed to letting the players define and claim their own. Ultimately, pay them to play so that their activity not only resembles work but is work. John Thorn activityawardclaim Change image and share on social
We know these men are professionals whose services are up for bid and whose bags are packed, and yet we call them our own and take personal, even civic pride in their accomplishments. John Thorn accomplishmentbagbid Change image and share on social
For many of us, sport has provided the continuity in our lives, the alternative family to the one we left behind. It gives us something to talk about, to preen about, to care about. John Thorn alternativecarecontinuity Change image and share on social
If I haven't made myself clear, this worrisome chain of events describes the game of the nineteenth century. John Thorn centurychainclear Change image and share on social
Finally, for all of us but a lucky few, the dream of playing big-time baseball is relinquished so we can get on with grown-up things. John Thorn baseballbigdream Change image and share on social
