1st Live Response
On Monday June 6th, 2016, I went with some co-workers to the game between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The game had countless features that made this game more like a play. The players represent the actors on the stage of a traditional play. While they are making plays, getting outs, and striking out their opponents these players develop a story line for the play that was their game. This game was an intense battle between two starts that went through three quarters of the game locked in a 2-2 tie. It took two great plays from Brain McCann and Starlin Castro to set up a three run home run by Carlos Beltran. This home run would turn out to be the climax of the game and in the respect that this game was play it was also the pivotal juncture of the play. As a result of this home run, the Yankees allowed their closing pitches to seal the game and lead them to a 5-2 victory over the Angels.
The fact that the game had a climax moment, like any generic play, was not the only similarity between a play and this game. The entire game took place under the bright lights of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. In other words, that stadium could be considered the stage and when the lights are on those players are all that matters on that stage. The same goes for any actor in a play with the spotlight hits them. Another aspect that makes this game like a play has to be the uniforms. Some people would say that they are just pinstripes but not a true fan of the Yankees. To a true fan, the pinstripes define the Yankees. In a play the costumes help to put the actors into the skin of the characters. Each Yankee player steps into the legacy that those pinstripes bring with them. They feel like Yankees when they put on their uniforms and in order to win they need to feel like that. In order to do their jobs they have to feel like Yankees, much like an actor must dress like his character in order to perform.
Another similarity between a play and this baseball game was the audience. Much like an audience of a play, the crowd of this game was engaged with the players. It is clear while watching the game that the audience is invested in the effort the players give. They know when a player is giving his team their all and when he is just going through the motions. The audience of play reacts to the effort of a performer in a similar fashion. When a performer gives it his all, everyone in the audience knows it and gives him the encouragement he deserves. If an actor struggles through his scene the impact of the scene is not as great upon the audience.
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