那个春天的傍晚是我头一回踏进职业棒球的比赛场，一切都那么新鲜有趣。同事的太太拥有音乐硕士学位，在一所小学里当音乐老师，也非常随和健谈。她说美国的小学老师都必须拥有本科以上学位，在她那个学区里，硕士学位也就比本科年薪高一千多块。她先在我们当地教了几年，然后去匈牙利国际学校教了9年，再回来现在的小学也教了12年音乐了。感觉当老师的人有个共性是热情开朗乐于分享，教人更是深入浅出恨不得包教包会。那场球他俩轮流讲解棒球比赛规则，我居然就看懂不少。到第7局的时候全场观众站起来唱一首耳熟能详的歌"Take me to the ball game"，我这才知道原来那歌就是唱棒球的，也终于知道“Spike 123, you are out”什么意思。头回觉得棒球赛挺好看的，妙就妙在可以聊天看球啥都不耽误，不像看足球必须目不转睛地盯着球不得歇息，棒球的节奏就是慢慢的有一搭没一搭。当然前提是必须有好的聊伴。反正ball, strike的次数挺多，OUT三次就攻防互换，尽管放心走神开小差，东聊西聊也不会拉下啥，吃吃喝喝就更觉悠闲享受了。
几十年来始终难以真少喜欢棒球。除了没有别的项目的季节。
Baseball is different from any other sport, very different. For instance, in most sports you score points or goals; in baseball you score runs. In most sports the ball, or object, is put in play by the offensive team; in baseball the defensive team puts the ball in play, and only the defense is allowed to touch the ball. In fact, in baseball if an offensive player touches the ball intentionally, he's out; sometimes unintentionally, he's out.
Also: in football,basketball, soccer, volleyball, and all sports played with a ball, you score with the ball and in baseball the ball prevents you from scoring.
In most sports the team is run by a coach; in baseball the team is run by a manager. And only in baseball does the manager or coach wear the same clothing the players do. If you'd ever seen John Madden in his Oakland Raiders uniform,you'd know the reason for this custom.
Now, I've mentioned football. Baseball & football are the two most popular spectator sports in this country. And as such, it seems they ought to be able to tell us something about ourselves and our values.
I enjoy comparing baseball and football:
Baseball is a nineteenth-century pastoral game.
Football is a twentieth-century technological struggle.
Baseball is played on a diamond, in a park.The baseball park!
Football is played on a gridiron, in a stadium, sometimes called Soldier Field or War Memorial Stadium.
Baseball begins in the spring, the season of new life.
Football begins in the fall, when everything's dying.
In football you wear a helmet.
In baseball you wear a cap.
Football is concerned with downs - what down is it?
Baseball is concerned with ups - who's up?
In football you receive a penalty.
In baseball you make an error.
In football the specialist comes in to kick.
In baseball the specialist comes in to relieve somebody.
Football has hitting, clipping, spearing, piling on, personal fouls, late hitting and unnecessary roughness.
Baseball has the sacrifice.
Football is played in any kind of weather: rain, snow, sleet, hail, fog...
In baseball, if it rains, we don't go out to play.
Baseball has the seventh inning stretch.
Football has the two minute warning.
Baseball has no time limit: we don't know when it's gonna end - might have extra innings.
Football is rigidly timed, and it will end even if we've got to go to sudden death.
In baseball, during the game, in the stands, there's kind of a picnic feeling; emotions may run high or low, but there's not too much unpleasantness.
In football, during the game in the stands, you can be sure that at least twenty-seven times you're capable of taking the life of a fellow human being.
And finally, the objectives of the two games are completely different:
In football the object is for the quarterback, also known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his receivers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! - I hope I'll be safe at home!
这两天，休斯敦人民可谓喜气洋洋，一扫哈维飓风带来的晦气，因为休斯敦太空人棒球队夺得史上首次世界冠军，全城欢天喜地一片沸腾。市中心的棒球场商店外排起了一千多人买纪念品的长队，校园里我的学生也都穿上队服戴上队帽个个笑逐颜开。11月3日周五下午，市中心举行浩浩荡荡的庆祝游行，休斯敦独立学区的所有中小学索性放假一天来欢庆胜利。
这副全市狂欢的景象不由让我想起不少往事。上世纪八十年代，我堪称一个不折不扣的体育迷，但关注的都是中国队在国际赛场的表现，很多同学也和我一样。相形之下，我们很少关心上海队的比赛，去赛场为我们学校校队加油呐喊的记忆更是为零。来到美国后，我却发现周围的老美关心奥运会、世界杯、各类世界锦标赛的不多，反而全部热情都花在支持自己的母校校队和家乡球队上了。
我留学的地方是一个中西部城市，虽然是那个州的州府，人口却只有几十万。上世纪九十年代，我们大学的橄榄球校队得了两三次全美大学生联赛冠军，全城人民乃至全州人民都无比激动自豪。每次我们大学橄榄球主场比赛，赛场都坐满了穿着或红或白队服的球迷，很多人都从别的城市远道赶来，一起呐喊助威，声势惊天动地。我也曾凑热闹去看过球，不过那时一点都看不懂，觉得橄榄球闹哄哄的，一拨上一拨下阵容换来换去，然后动不动就大堆人马全撞倒在一起，活像叠罗汉，真搞不懂有什么好看的。我两年硕士毕业后出去工作一年多，想着在职读个博士，就又回到大学工作，不久就怀孕生子，更是忙得再没现场看过球。但作为大学教职员工，我没放弃每年赛季买球票的福利，买来自然就交给老公随他处置。结果年年赛季还没开始，就有老美黄牛联系他出双倍的钱买下整套票。有一年老公表示舍不得卖票要留着自己看，结果第一场比赛那天，我亲眼看着他离开家，却过没多久就回来了。原来赛场门口碰到有人在那当场等票，追着他愿意出三倍的价钱买他的票，这个没出息的穷学生就肯了，自我安慰回家看电视转播也是一样的，就揣着钱高高兴兴回来了。看来金钱面前，真能考验真球迷还是假球迷，那些出高价也要看球的民众对母校球队的热爱可见一斑了。
搬到休斯顿以后，我们去看过几次火箭队的篮球比赛，当然是冲着姚明。我还曾有机会客串过一次记者，为新浪网去采访一次火箭队的训练。可惜没碰到姚明，看见麦蒂了。那几年姚明因不断受伤，出场已经不多了。但现场感受丰田中心观众们的山呼海啸仍然是很过瘾的体验，进场时都可以领取众多助威的东西，整场比赛间主持人不断鼓动大家加油喝彩，真的是群情激奋，看场球下来耳朵快聋了，嗓子也都喊哑了。
我真正去看棒球比赛，还要多多感谢休斯敦马拉松比赛的组委。我2015年1月写过一篇专栏文章《头回参与马拉松》，我自己没跑，去当送水义工了。结果作为对义工的奖励，我和老公都收到了春季一场棒球赛的赠票，是休斯敦太空人队主场比赛。之前我接触到棒球，还是留学时候美国同学带我和系里其他同学一起玩，我装模作样抡起棒子，压根离投来的球老远，反而还打到自己身上，规则啥的更是一窍不通，因此我想像不出棒球有什么好玩的。但4张免费票浪费也有点舍不得，于是到处打听有谁愿和我们同去，正中一个同事的下怀。那人是我们学校教社会学的教授，他那年和他太太都是马拉松的参跑者。可问下来才知道他们每人花了一百多块报名费去参加比赛，跑不到前几名的话是拿不到一分钱奖金的，只有一块完赛的纪念奖牌记载荣耀。他得知我们义工反而有免费棒球赛票，羡慕得不行。那么正好一拍即合，我请他夫妻俩和我们一起看球。
那个春天的傍晚是我头一回踏进职业棒球的比赛场，一切都那么新鲜有趣。同事的太太拥有音乐硕士学位，在一所小学里当音乐老师，也非常随和健谈。她说美国的小学老师都必须拥有本科以上学位，在她那个学区里，硕士学位也就比本科年薪高一千多块。她先在我们当地教了几年，然后去匈牙利国际学校教了9年，再回来现在的小学也教了12年音乐了。感觉当老师的人有个共性是热情开朗乐于分享，教人更是深入浅出恨不得包教包会。那场球他俩轮流讲解棒球比赛规则，我居然就看懂不少。到第7局的时候全场观众站起来唱一首耳熟能详的歌"Take me to the ball game"，我这才知道原来那歌就是唱棒球的，也终于知道“Spike 123, you are out”什么意思。头回觉得棒球赛挺好看的，妙就妙在可以聊天看球啥都不耽误，不像看足球必须目不转睛地盯着球不得歇息，棒球的节奏就是慢慢的有一搭没一搭。当然前提是必须有好的聊伴。反正ball, strike的次数挺多，OUT三次就攻防互换，尽管放心走神开小差，东聊西聊也不会拉下啥，吃吃喝喝就更觉悠闲享受了。
前年第一次的经历很美妙，去年我们就又去当马拉松义工又得棒球票，自然再一次请我同事夫妻同看棒球。今年马拉松我们也故技重施，偏巧四月上旬我中学许同学从加州洛杉矶带儿子来休斯敦过春假，我们就带她母子俩去开开棒球眼界，那场比赛是和西雅图打，休斯敦队和前两年比的确进步很大，赢得很轻松，后来就索性一路开挂直至走上总冠军宝座，真是有史以来第一回。我当然兴奋地电话许同学报告好消息，她居然把功劳揽在她头上，说她从来没看过棒球，头一回来休斯敦玩顺便看个球，就把好运气带给我们休斯敦队了。我想想我们决赛偏巧赢的她所在的洛杉矶队，也就赞扬了一下她大义灭自家城市队的精神。
年纪越长，越觉得人生不易，能有场庆祝大家都高高兴兴的真是难得呢。电视上直播游行现场，人山人海，德州州长休斯敦市长国会议员们都悉数到场，队员们当仁不让成了人民英雄，太空人队的胜利已然成了全休斯敦乃至全德州的骄傲。