I'm trying, baseball.
I really am.
I even watched the Home Run Derby.
The All-Star Game came and went.
The hot dogs were delicious.
The beer was cold.
And then...
Nothing.
It's like baseball disappears for four days, comes back, and expects us to remember there are still 65 games left.
Meanwhile, football fans are over here watching videos of offensive linemen walking off buses like it's the Zapruder film.
"Did you see how he stepped off with his left foot first? Super Bowl confirmed."
Baseball?
"We're back!"
Cool.
Wake me up when somebody gets traded.
The Trade Deadline Is Baseball's Super Bowl
Let's be honest.
The next two weeks are infinitely more interesting than most of the games themselves.
Who gets dealt?
Who's buying?
Who's selling?
Can a mediocre team convince itself it's one reliever away from a World Series?
Absolutely.
It happens every single year.
That's the beauty of baseball.
The trade deadline is fantasy football waiver wire day... except with billion-dollar owners instead of your drunk uncle Larry.
The Weirdest Part About Baseball
The standings are upside down.
The White Sox are making people do double takes after years near the bottom, while some of the league's expected contenders have stumbled through the first half. The second-half playoff race suddenly looks a lot more interesting than anyone predicted back in March.
That's why you don't crown champions in April.
You let baseball do baseball things.
Here's My Problem...
Major League Baseball has incredible athletes.
Ridiculous statistics.
Future Hall of Famers.
Robot-assisted ball-and-strike challenges.
And somehow...
It still struggles to market its own stars.
Even after the All-Star Game, a lot of the conversation centered around missed opportunities to showcase the game's biggest personalities and build momentum heading into the second half.
That's like the NFL finishing the Super Bowl and saying...
"Okay everybody... see you in six months."
You Know What I'd Watch?
Mic players up.
Let us hear first base.
Let us hear the dugout.
Let us hear the catcher calling time because some fan yelled something ridiculous.
Let us hear the manager arguing with the umpire.
Baseball is hilarious when baseball forgets it's supposed to be serious.
Lean into it.
Until Football Saves Us...
The Hall of Fame Game is almost here.
Fantasy football drafts are filling up.
Training camp videos are about to dominate the internet.
Meanwhile, baseball still has two months left to remind us why October is one of the greatest sporting events on Earth.
Because once the playoffs start...
I'll pretend I've loved baseball all season.
Just like everybody else.