The Great Unifier

Is America really more divided than ever? I could cite a few examples, right off the top of my head, that would cast doubts upon that oft-repeated (as of late) claim. During the American Revolution, there was a sharp divide between those who fought for independence from the king and those who remained loyal to the crown. The Civil War, of course, saw a nation so at odds with itself that it split in two over the cause of slavery. More recently, the turbulent 1960s, with the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War, featured nationwide protests, hate crimes, and large riots. No, I don’t think America is more divided than ever. Not even close.

I do, nevertheless, have a plan to bring the people of our great nation closer together. The beauty of my plan lies in its simplicity. It requires very little effort. In fact, the success of my plan hinges only upon a single action. For the next week, instead of dwelling on politics and the upcoming election, focus all of your attention on the World Series.

I’m dead serious.

 

Since the 1860s, baseball has been considered “the national pastime.” It was the national pastime throughout the Civil War and throughout segregation when white players and players of color were barred from competing against one another. It was the national pastime when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record—despite the countless death threats both men received from white bigots. Baseball was the national pastime when 18-year-old ball players were sent to kill and be killed in Vietnam while other 18-year-olds burned their draft cards and were beaten and killed by police and National Guardsmen in the streets of America.

Throughout the second half of our imperfect union’s history, Baseball, the national pastime, has been the one thing that could bring us together: Baseball is The Great Unifier.

Your political affiliation has no bearing on the game of baseball. Your hatred of college-educated “Liberal Elites” or of “Billionaire Celebrity” Donald Trump does not prevent you from enjoying the national pastime. Baseball is for everyone. Although we all have our favorite teams to root for, and perhaps your favorite team’s season has already ended, surely we can set aside our differences for one week and enjoy watching Major League Baseball’s World Series—together.

Living in mid-Missouri, you are most likely a fan of either the St. Louis Cardinals or the Kansas City Royals. With neither Missouri team in this year’s Fall Classic, you may feel disinclined to watch two teams (the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Dodgers) that you aren’t particularly interested in. If that is the case, then please allow me to make a suggestion of who you should pull for over the next four to seven games: The Tampa Bay Rays.

When Bethany and I traveled to China, almost exactly twelve years ago, to adopt our son Truman, we met several other American couples who were there adopting children at the same time. One of those couples was Jane and Shane Fairbanks. The Fairbankses, hailing from Webster Groves, was one of a handful of Missouri couples in our travel group. Bethany and I found Jane and Shane easy to talk to and fun to be around. We quickly discovered that we had a few things in common. For starters, all four of us were Mizzou graduates, and both couples had a biological son in addition to our newly adopted children. Shane and I also shared a love of baseball. He even played professionally for a time.

Last week, the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Houston Astros to win the American League Championship Series. In the decisive seventh game, the pitcher who recorded the final four outs for the Rays was a former Mizzou standout from Webster Groves named Peter Fairbanks. The son of Jane and Shane Fairbanks, Lia’s big brother, punched his team’s ticket to the World Series.

Do yourself a favor for the next week or so and take a break from following politics. Watch the World Series and cheer for Peter and his teammates instead. Baseball is a great excuse to set aside our differences and enjoy something together.

 

Maybe after the World Series is over, we will remember that we have more in common than we realize. The key to resolving any conflict is finding things upon which both sides can agree. I think we can all agree that watching Pete Fairbanks hurl a 100 MPH fastball is way more enjoyable than watching a politician hurl an insult.

Go get ‘em, Pete!