First of all, under ideal conditions baseball requires of its fans three full hours of sitting outside in the sunshine. And there’s not much that’s wrong with that.

For less than the cost of a movie ticket, if you’re lucky enough to live in a town with a minor league team, you can spend your evening listing to the sound of the train whistle, drinking a beer or three, a watching the giant Italian sausage race the giant Polish kielbasa around the bases between innings.

And since baseball takes a while to play, there’s a correspondingly relaxed vibe in the stands. Even the guys who’ve had a beer or six tend to behave like colorful cut-ups rather than violent douchebags.

And finally — even if your team takes a pounding (as the Rochester Red Wings did last night to the Toledo Mud Hens) and even if you’re coming off a six-game losing streak (as the Phillies are tonight) — you have to work pretty hard to not have a good time at the ballpark.

Take me out to the ballgame.

–lori