Baseball, You Are a Little Bit Weird

This is certainly a topic for a longer post at another time, but it is worth pointing out that baseball is kind of a strange sport. I have often [stolen my dad's theory and totally failed to credit him when I have] hypothesized that if baseball had invented and introduced as a new sport today, it would not possibly draw major public interest. Wait, I'm supposed to get excited about the outcome of a single contest that makes up only 1/162nd of a team's season? And a 1-0 score represents the height of excitement? And the statistical analysis necessary to truly understand the game requires advanced degrees in both Quantum Mathematics and American History?

Again, this is not to say I don't like baseball, per se, but even the die-hardest fans out there have to admit that it is a little bit weird. To wit:

A sport that inspires this brand of statistical curiosity - and yields these strange results, no matter how explicable they seem to be - is not operating within the bounds of traditional athletic inquiry.