Chiefs Win with a Soccer Score.

By Fedor Pogorelov

I spent in the US only one month. That was the month full of attempts to understand new cultural code, new interpersonal distance and new rules of game. After this month I went to write a story about an absolutely unknown kind of sports for Russians – a story about baseball game. Do I have to clarify that it was my first visit to the baseball stadium?

I have to notice, that in Russia we have pretty the same game. It’s called lapta. It’s an ancient – firstly mentioned in the 14^th century – game with a pitcher, a batter and running from one base to another. So it’s a real archetype: the idea of the game with a stick, with a ball and with run. I have strong suspicions that authors of The Boy’s Own Book had ever heard about lapta

That was a warm Tuesday night when we arrived to the NTB Bank Stadium. Chiefs from Syracuse play in Minor League and this team was mentioned in The Simpsons. My baseball background is Hoffman’s reference in The Rainman and an old Russian joke: in Russia they sell 1000 bats every year. And only one ball for baseball.

At first we had to watch the end of the game which was suspended in July because of the rain. To tell the truth that was the moment of desperation. I didn’t understand what was happening at the pitch. All Monday I spent on learning baseball rules. To tell the truth I failed. Empty stands. Strange digits on the screen. Absolute surrealism.

With a classic European depression I ask professor John Nicholson, my personal Vergilius in this soccer Inferno, why baseball is so popular in the US.

“Because it’s traditional," he tells me. "Generation after generation we were brought by our dads to baseball. The very important thing which we like about this is that how everything is measured so precisely. The base lines are 90 feet. Not an inch less or not an inch more. So these guys are very skilled. Short answer for your question: it’s mostly tradition. There are a plenty of room for conversations between innings. And just watch how everybody moves”.

The first game is over. But I ‘m still not sure. And we go to the Chiefs dressing rooms. We have a lucky chance to talk with a professional player before the game. In soccer that’s absolutely impossible. The Chiefs’ infielder with a very poetic family name Rhymes answers to the questions of young journalists. I have a very vague idea what these people are talking about.

After the interview we go back to the press-box. The game vs Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders is about to start. Charming old ladies sing the American anthem. Everybody’s up. It’s impossible to imagine the same settings in Russia. You’d better don’t know why.

I beg my neighbor in the press-box to explain the baseball rules and baseball traditions. Daniel Summers from Utah does his best.

“It’s about history and economy and immigrants. Baseball reached the highest in the 20’s, the Golden time of American baseball. Big economic boom. The 3^rd wave of immigration. And new immigrants had something to do. These baseball games gave them the feeling of community. So it was part of U.S melting pot idea”.

Step by step I start to distinguish balls from strikes. I start to see how a pitcher provokes a batter. And I tell D.J., that in soccer you can’t leave the foul ball to yourself. The police will come and will arrest you.

Five hours have passed. It’s chilling. My Russian friend who lives in New York for many years once told me: baseball - it’s an American way of meditation. Now I see what he meant. If you now at least 50% of the rules baseball is a really amazing game.

The game finishes. I missed who won so I ask Professor Nicholson.

“Do you see that large screen? Those who have larger digit won.  Chiefs won. 3-2. Soccer score”.