Sportsmanship is one of the foundational values of athletic competition, helping to define the essence of any sport. In many major sports like basketball, hockey, and soccer, it is common practice for opposing teams to line up after a game and shake hands. This simple gesture is a powerful display of mutual respect and camaraderie, recognizing that no matter the outcome of the contest, all players share a common love for the game.
Yet, curiously, one of America’s oldest and most beloved sports, baseball, does not follow this tradition. While teams in Little League, high school, and college baseball typically shake hands after games, Major League Baseball (MLB) teams rarely do. Given the growing emphasis on sportsmanship, teamwork, and respect in modern athletics, it raises the question: Why doesn’t baseball adopt a formal handshake ritual after games, and why should it?
The Power of a Handshake: More Than Just a Gesture
The handshake is one of the most universal signs of respect. In sports, it’s a way to acknowledge the hard work, effort, and passion that both teams bring to the field, regardless of the final score. The game may be competitive, but the handshake symbolizes that the competition ends with the last out, and mutual respect takes over.
In other sports, the post-game handshake or team lineup ritual creates a sense of closure, diffusing the intensity of competition and promoting good will between opponents. It’s not just about the players who won or lost—it’s about everyone who participated and contributed to the game. Bringing this tradition to baseball could enhance the spirit of the sport, underscoring that players aren’t just competing to win but to honor the game itself.
Fostering Sportsmanship in Baseball
Baseball, with its long-standing traditions and respect for the past, has always been considered a “gentleman’s game.” However, in the modern era, where emotions can run high and tensions between teams occasionally boil over, adding a post-game handshake ritual could serve as a reminder of the sportsmanship that is supposed to define the game.
Emotions in baseball can be intense, particularly during playoff runs or high-stakes rivalries. The lack of a formal handshake or post-game acknowledgment can sometimes leave those emotions unresolved. A handshake, though simple, helps to restore balance. It gives players a chance to cool down, offers a moment of reflection, and encourages athletes to respect their opponents, even if the game was fiercely competitive.
By introducing this ritual into professional baseball, the league would be reinforcing the idea that respect and fair play are just as important as winning. It’s about teaching the next generation of athletes—who look up to MLB players as role models—that sportsmanship transcends the scoreboard.
Setting an Example for Young Athletes
One of the strongest arguments for bringing the post-game handshake to baseball is its impact on young athletes. Children who play Little League baseball or high school ball are already accustomed to lining up after games and shaking hands with their opponents. It’s ingrained in them as part of the game, an expected norm.
However, when these young athletes watch professional games, they don’t see their MLB heroes doing the same. This can send mixed signals, as it suggests that once you reach a certain level, the importance of sportsmanship diminishes in favor of competition. To maintain consistency and reinforce the values taught at youth levels, it’s crucial for the highest levels of the sport to lead by example.
By having Major League teams line up and shake hands after every game, MLB would be showing younger athletes that respect and professionalism are qualities that should be maintained at every level of competition.
Promoting Unity in a Divided Culture
In an era where divisions, both on and off the field, can seem more pronounced than ever, simple gestures of respect and unity are more important than ever. Sports can act as a unifying force in society, bringing people together regardless of their differences.
Baseball, often referred to as America’s pastime, has a unique role in reflecting and influencing culture. By adopting the handshake ritual, baseball could send a message that competition doesn’t have to divide us; it can actually bring us closer together. Even when we’re rooting for opposing teams, there is always common ground to be found in our shared love for the game.
After all, at its heart, sports are about community. While rivalries and competition drive fan engagement and excitement, the handshake at the end of the game reminds us that we’re all part of the same larger community—fans, players, and coaches alike.
Addressing Potential Concerns
Some might argue that the time-honored traditions of baseball don’t require such a change, and that players already show respect in other ways, such as tipping their caps or exchanging pleasantries after a close play. Others might point to baseball’s long schedule, with 162 games, and suggest that lining up after every game would become repetitive or lose its meaning over time.
However, other sports with long seasons, like basketball and hockey, have successfully maintained post-game handshake traditions. The ritual doesn’t need to be an elaborate production—it can be a simple, sincere acknowledgment of a game well played. Over time, it would become a meaningful part of baseball’s fabric, much like the seventh-inning stretch or the tradition of singing the national anthem.
A New Tradition for America’s Pastime
Baseball is a sport steeped in tradition, but it has also shown a willingness to evolve when needed. From expanding the playoff format to embracing instant replay, MLB has made changes in response to the evolving nature of the game and its audience.
Introducing a post-game handshake or lineup ritual would not only foster greater sportsmanship but also set an important example for young athletes. It would create moments of mutual respect, unity, and reflection after the intensity of competition—reminding us all that while baseball is a game of skill, strategy, and endurance, it is also a game that celebrates respect and camaraderie.
In a time when sportsmanship is more important than ever, it’s time for baseball to follow the lead of other major sports and start a new tradition that reflects the values we all want to see in America’s pastime.
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