it's the little things that make it interesting

Many people have asked me how I can possibly love baseball.

I'll be the first to admit that baseball's charm has a lot to do with the game itself, and also a lot to do with the friends you go to a game with, the hedonism of paying $6 for a warmish beer, the nostalgia of the game's history coming alive again almost every summer night under the lights in any big-league park.

If you loved Field of Dreams you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you hated it, just skip the rest of this.

One of the actual game-related reasons I love baseball is the endless wealth of bizarre possibilities and obscure rules. There are a lot of people and a lot of possible plays in a baseball game, and a lot of random streaks and stats to keep track of (so what if I nearly failed statistics in high school? That's what the internet is for).

Of the more exciting current streaks, A-Rod's (that's Alex Rodriguez, of the NY Yankees) quest to be the youngest player to hit 500 home runs is certainly one of the most closely-followed. And it took a really funky turn this week. He hit number 499 on Wednesday... or was it number 500? See, today he might hit #493, which would make the one two days ago #500. Baseball may be the only sport that's figured out time travel.

See, some people ward off Alzheimers by doing crossword puzzles and sudoku. I try to wrap my brain around baseball rules.