For episode 100 of our podcast, we compiled our 100 favorite things about baseball. The first two are the most impactful for us, but after that the numbers don't really mean anything.

  1. There is so much to explore.
  2. The unique, personal relationship between each fan and the game
  3. Unifying force in our family
  4. Bond between fathers and sons, sharing the successes and failures of the game together
  5. The ballpark ("Way better than Disney" - John)
  6. Ballpark food
  7. Baseball's constancy: During good and bad, it's always there.
  8. Complexity: GMs with Ivy League degrees can't figure it out.
  9. History: First World Series was played in 1903, while the NBA Finals started in 1947 and the first Super Bowl was 1967.
  10. The Hall of Fame matters.
  11. It's hard to casually like baseball, which minimizes fake fans and hot takes.
  12. Games aren't a production; the gameplay speaks for itself.
  13. Baseball on the radio
  14. Makes for a great companion through life as you weave it into every day
  15. Pace of the game
  16. Variety of ways in which a player can succeed; Tony Gwynn could hit any pitch, while Ken Griffey looked for a ball to drive. Nolan Ryan overpowered hitters, while Greg Maddux outsmarted them.
  17. No time limit
  18. Baseball's reach: Hundreds of teams are scattered across the country.
  19. Generational: The sport must be passed down to younger fans and players.
  20. Overlapping fan bases; in Champaign, we have fans of the Cubs, White Sox, and Cardinals.
  21. Numbers: 140 years of data in box scores, standings, records, and so much more.
  22. You can't hide your weaknesses, no matter if you're a player, broadcaster, manager, or fan.
  23. The feel of the bat and baseball in your hands
  24. Intensity of late-game situations
  25. 9th-inning comebacks
  26. Mind games between batter and pitcher
  27. Painting the outside corner with a fastball and hitting a line drive to the opposite field gap
  28. Your team going first to third on a base hit with one out
  29. Batter getting the job done when everyone knows what he needs to do
  30. A well-executed suicide squeeze.
  31. Seeing a great hitter versus a great pitcher four times in person
  32. Bunts against the shift
  33. Home runs that leave the stadium
  34. The backdoor curveball
  35. Walk-off hits
  36. Home run robbery
  37. Mike Trout
  38. Clayton Kershaw
  39. Sandy Koufax
  40. Lou Gehrig
  41. Greg Maddux
  42. The hyped prospect
  43. Jackie Robinson
  44. Tony Gwynn
  45. Bo Jackson
  46. Ken Griffey Jr.
  47. Left-handed power hitters
  48. Unathletic players
  49. Specialists (LOOGY, pinch hitter, etc.)
  50. Michael Jordan. The best basketball player ever took two years of his prime to play baseball.
  51. Vin Scully
  52. Pat Hughes
  53. Diversity of players
  54. Abundance of opportunities to succeed, even after lackluster high school or college careers
  55. Baseball movies
  56. Strong regional fan bases; it's hard to be a bandwagon fan from a distance.
  57. Baseball hats, the best sports accessory
  58. Catching a ball at a game
  59. The first pitch
  60. Playing catch
  61. Fridays at Wrigley
  62. Mid-market teams have a chance.
  63. Organic international growth
  64. Road trips to see your team play in a new city
  65. Barry Bonds' 2004 season. At 39, he hit 45 HR with a .609 OBP and .812 SLG to win his fourth straight MVP.
  66. 1998 home run race
  67. OBP
  68. WAR
  69. 2004 ALCS
  70. Throwback uniforms
  71. No hard salary cap; the market sets a player's value.
  72. Spring Training
  73. Cast of characters in the game
  74. Baseball after 9/11
  75. Game 7 of the 2016 World Series
  76. Final day of the 2011 regular season
  77. Your team being awful is easier to swallow than other sports. Bad baseball is still watchable.
  78. All games take place in the same year, making it easy to reference a specific season.
  79. Sounds of the game: Crack of the bat, ball hitting glove, etc.
  80. Fantasy baseball
  81. MLB At Bat app
  82. Cooperstown, NY
  83. Yankees' dominance. 27 titles since 1903; Cardinals 2nd with 11.
  84. 90s Braves pitching staff
  85. Managers have to wear the same uniform as players.
  86. Your glove, the most personal piece of sports equipment.
  87. Going to the ballpark accentuates your enjoyment of the city it's in.
  88. Trade Deadline
  89. Baseball books
  90. Baseball-Reference.com
  91. Perfect Game
  92. Four-homer game
  93. Baseball-related Wikipedia pages
  94. Honest postgame comments from players and coaches
  95. Baseball writing
  96. The yips
  97. Opening Day
  98. Baseball on TV
  99. Hawk Harrelson-Brian Kenny MLB Network debate
  100. Bryan Cranston's 2014 playoffs promo