The year isn\u2019t starting off very well, for those who haven\u2019t felt the weight yet. Once 2020 ended, there was a small glimmer of hope \u2014 more faith in the idea that life would be different in some way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s not. Not really, anyway. We\u2019re seeing the same limitations as the first quarantine wave. Sports are back, but we\u2019re seeing more cancellations than we are games. The world still feels uneasy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It feels hard to get excited about anything, especially after the most recent baseball legend died. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Jan. 22, long-time Braves outfielder and home run king Hank Aaron walked out of the cornfield and on to the proverbial field of dreams. The baseball world unified, as it always does, in remembrance of the king, who is renowned for changing how the game was played on and off the field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s talk about this for a second. One facet of the game that keeps it exhilarating is the intense rivalries. Whether you find yourselves on the wrong side of the Cardinals-Cubs or the right side of Red Sox-Yankees, odds are that one of your teams often faces another team that you just can\u2019t stand. That\u2019s the thing about sports, though: The entire point is to be better, faster and stronger than your opponent. Athletics are a high-pressure, high-intensity medium that pits the peak of human performance against itself. Deep-rooted rivalries between teams help offer a surge of competitive juices in the game that the national media passively views as dehydrated. Without rivalries and intense battles, there wouldn\u2019t be sports \u2014 at least not as we know it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s very uncommon to see unusual groups of people unite over anything. Usually, if you\u2019re stuck to your convictions, you\u2019re not going to budge no matter what. A phenomenon as rare as unified agreement and respect is about as rare as sighting Bigfoot water skiing off the back of the Loch Ness Monster. It\u2019s only in the most intense moments that we see everyone come together. Whether it be the highest of achievements or the lowest of lows, extremity often is the driving force for unity among unlikely people. On the day of his passing, the entire league joined together to honor the king, even his most embittered rivals. The baseball world came together from all corners to pay respects and remember one of the most influential people to ever play the game. It was a testament not only to Hank\u2019s impact on the game, but to the game itself. It showed that it stands for nothing but class and unity. That\u2019s one of the reasons that I love baseball. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s the main reason, you ask? It\u2019s Hank. 100%. That\u2019s why you\u2019re seeing another tribute (I promise it\u2019ll be the last one). I just couldn\u2019t let his legacy go unnoticed. I couldn\u2019t stay silent about my hero. Growing up with ADHD and depression always made me feel small and insignificant, and seeing that someone larger than life was weaved into the fabric of what I loved the most helped drive my passion for the game. With baseball, I felt like something bigger than myself because of someone. In Hank Aaron, I saw someone who went his whole life being treated less than everyone else and fighting his way to the top of the baseball world. Even though I didn\u2019t \u2014 and probably won\u2019t ever \u2014 fully understand the gravity of what he went through, it gave me hope that I could conquer whatever I set my mind to, no matter what stands in my way. Because of Hank, I\u2019m here talking to you today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My heart broke that morning on Jan. 22 and so did the hearts of the entire baseball community. We lost one of the very forces that changed the game and made it what it is today. Hank Aaron\u2019s legacy will continue to be felt off the field, just as much as it was felt on the field. We will miss you, Hank<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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