Welcome back, friends! After another week of the Twins (mostly) mashing mediocre competition, we’ve made it to another weekend. Taking a break from more timely topics, let’s hash this out: What is the best sound produced by the game of baseball?
By the way, our regular Friday discussion feature has a new name!
Today’s discussion question was inspired by Miguel Sano’s laser shot from yesterday’s game (you know, the one that sounded like a gunshot when it hit the seats):
Miguel Sano: ONE HUNDRED FOURTEEN pic.twitter.com/salcVVpa59
— Ted (@tlschwerz) August 6, 2020
There is no shortage of great baseball sounds to choose from. The pop of a catcher’s mitt is the favorite of many, as rawhide meets soft leather at 90+ mph. Or perhaps the crack of the bat, as hardwood meets the ball at high speed. Perhaps a more crowd-based sound is your favorite, like the beerman’s shout or the pure adrenaline-fueled roar of 40,000+ as a ball soars out of the park.
In my opinion, there’s no purer sound than when bat meets ball. The crack of a baseball finding the sweet spot of turned ash is absolute music to my ears. Whenever I’m watching high school or college baseball, it is apparent once again that the “ping” of a metal bat cannot hold a candle to the therapeutic crack of hardwood. It’s a sound that echoes throughout baseball history, linking the Babe to Carew to Griffey to Trout, and everyone in between.
Now that I’ve had my chance to wax poetic about my opinion on the matter of the day, what is your opinion? What sound of baseball is sweet music (casual Frank Viola reference, no big deal) to your ears? Tell us in the comments!