April 7: America's pastime

The first of April marked the first day of the 2013 baseball season, which left fans everywhere begging to be in front of their televisions instead of sitting at school or at work. After the sports heaven that was March Madness, it is time for the nation’s pastime to return to center stage.

I am as avid a baseball fan as they come, which is why I made the two and a half hour drive to Cincinnati the first chance I got to go see the Cincinnati Reds play the Washington Nationals. It was my first time seeing the Great American Ballpark, and I was not disappointed; there is no better feeling than walking out from the concourse and watching the field stretch out before you.

The day was sunny and bright, a perfect day for baseball. Cincinnati’s ballpark is right next to the Ohio River, so from our seats along the first base line, we could look out and see for miles along the river and into the city.

A few minutes before game time, we heard those famous words. “Ladies and Gentlemen, please rise and remove your caps for the singing of the National Anthem.” As one mass, the entire stadium stood and honored our nation, some singing along, all cheering as the final notes were played and the game was ready to begin.

There was only one problem. There weren’t any baseball players.

On both the Reds’ and Nationals’ side of the field, no more than a dozen players were standing along the baseline stretching, pausing for the Star Spangled Banner. A vast majority of both teams were nowhere to be seen, in the clubhouse.

Having the chance to play the sport you love is not a right, but rather the privilege of a lifetime. That privilege comes with a few hurdles through which a ballplayer must jump. One of those things most definitely should be paying his respects to the country in which he is given his vast blessings.

There are plenty of baseball players from around the world, who may not call America home for four months of the year. They may think that the song means nothing more to them than does the song that the starting pitcher warms up to. But the bottom line is that they will be paid in American dollars at the end of the month, and they better be ready to be respectful.

If a ballgame were to feature the Toronto Blue Jays, you could be damn sure that the same expectations would be had for “Oh Canada.” Respect is an international thing. This is well beyond the ballpark. This is a source of pride for each nation of the world.

The fact that it was the Washington Nationals who brought this issue to my attention is insulting, appalling, and, frankly, embarrassing. The name on the front of their jersey means even more than any mere mascot. They will be, and should be held to a higher standard. If you are the National Pastime’s team in the Nation’s capital, you better be ready to bring honor to your city.

If I were a manager, I would implement a very simple policy. If you are not standing on the baseline, hat in hand, standing quietly and respectfully, if not proudly, during the National Anthem, you will not see the playing field for any purpose either.

As a fan, I love taking in a baseball game, and part of the baseball experience is the pomp and circumstance of it all. If a baseball player is doing anything to take away from that, he is letting down his fans, and therefore not doing his job.