My dad signed me up for T-Ball when I was 3 (he lied about my age). This year will be my 15th playing baseball. Why do I love baseball? I know not everyone does, but for me, baseball is a lifestyle- it's religious. It's the reason I've met the best friends in my life. It's the reason I've the opportunity to travel as much I have. It's the crux of my relationship with my best friend- my dad- who shares this love with me. It's so much more than this to me. When I say it is religious I am referring to the community I share it with, the sermons that it unveils every day in the form of life-lessons, the holders of the past, and the profound faith that the "Baseball Gods" will adjudicate. I consider myself to be a thinker, and while I loved other sports, baseball always appealed to me because of the time in between plays. The consideration of the present, brainstorming ways to impact the game, imparting probabilities on outcomes, all leading up to the climactic moment- the pitch. Then, reset and redo. I suppose people describe action differently- for me though, baseball is non-stop, it just utilizes different parts of my body. My dad grew up in San Diego in the 80s. His favorite player was Tony Gwynn. He recounted to me the story of when he met Gwynn at age 18 and that he was so star-struck, he couldn't even get a word out. And, that he had a Gwynn signed baseball from that meeting, but that he proudly showcases the ball on his windowsill and the son had faded the ink on the ball to the point you couldn't even read it. I thought he made a good point though- he told me that the whole reason we love autographs isn't for the actual physical signature, but for what it represented- that someone we consider to be a hero essentially wrote, "I was here!" on the ball. He said the ball was better now because no one else knew what he knew...that Tony Gwynn had been there. Nice try Dad! I grew to love Gwynn as well. My dad showed me videos and we watched biographies. The things that stood out again and again were- craftsmanship and humility. He took an analytical approach to solving the problems he faced on the field and would work on his craft until he was prepared to succeed. While he was amazing, he often deflected the praise and redirected it to others, and often with humor. I admire both of these traits and try to model my behavior after these. My favorite team is the Oregon Ducks. I am proud member of the Eugene, Oregon, community and the University of Oregon has always been the program that I've supported. I'd love to say it's for some reason on than pure practicality, but it's not. Lastly, I want to talk about pitching. From Day 1, I've been a pitcher. My dad was a pitcher. My mom as well. It's cliche to say it's in my blood, but it's also hard to argue with. I'm not sure, exactly, what it is that I love about pitching- maybe it's the mental component, maybe it's the one on one competition, maybe it's the violence of the movement. I'm not sure. What I do know is that from the first day I pitched a baseball- I was hooked. I feel honored to apply and write this essay. Those who love baseball, love it powerfully- like Craig must have. I get it.