Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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AT THE BALLPARK — Baseball is considered America's favorite pastime, though I understand why people find the sport incredibly dull and slow. To put it succinctly, it looks like a boring sport to the average viewer.
It's tough for people to see the amazing aspects of baseball because it doesn't have the hard hits of football or the nonstop offensive showmanship of basketball. Baseball will never be these sports, but it's hard not to love the nuances of the game.
Sure, the unwritten rules of the sport are archaic and dumb, and I appreciate the younger crop of athletes that challenge these "rules," but there's so much to be gained in baseball, especially if you're watching in person.
How can you not be in love with the game when you're sitting with a Dodger dog in one hand and your favorite beverage in the other hand as you let the beauty of the game surround you? Have you not watched a game at Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City? That view, am I right?!
Am I waxing poetic too much? Sure, but it's tough to beat baseball in the summer.
And while there's nothing like being at the ballpark, there's one reason why watching from home can provide the greatest of experiences. Such is the case with the follow video, which MLB Twitter dubbed the "most thrilling call you'll hear today and, maybe, ever."
That's quite the intro, but it's also quite the call.
But first, here's a quick look at what went into the call: The Fredericksburg Nationals, the Washington Nationals' Single-A affiliate, were in the seventh and final inning of a doubleheader in a rubber match game of a five-game series against the Lynchburg Hillcats. With the game tied 5-5, the batter, Viandel Pena, sent the ball out of the park for a home run to win the series.
It wasn't a walk-off home run — you can't top that in any sport — but it was the eventual game- and series-winning hit.
With that context, watch as play-by-play analyst Joey Zanaboni delivers, arguably, the greatest call of all time.
Listen to the most thrilling call you'll hear today and, maybe, ever. pic.twitter.com/W0h3hdTn8o
— MLB (@MLB) May 10, 2022
There's so much to unpack here, but his words speak for themselves: LEEEET'S GEEEEET LIIIIIIIIIT.
I guess you should go dust off your favorite Fyodor Dostoevsky novel and light the candles around the house.
