WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – Baseball will be front and center as the U.S. celebrates its 250th birthday this summer.
Fans at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., reflected on what the national pastime means to them.
“What is it, a baseball, apple pie and Chevrolet. So it means it is the American sport,” said Dennis Kemp, a baseball fan from Laurel, Md.
From little league fields to the 40,000 fans at Nationals Park, baseball is woven into the American fabric.
“Baseball has always been there. Every year, from 9/11 to, you know, now, you know, baseball is like a it’s a staple every year. Every spring, you know, you come out, play every day,” said Armando Miranda III, a baseball fan from Long Beach, Calif.
Baseball hasn’t always been part of the American story. Major League Baseball was founded in 1876, a century after America’s founders signed the Declaration of Independence. But since MLB started, the sport has captured the hearts and minds of fans, young and old.
“I think it’s incredible. It’s the American sport. It’s been around for a very, very, very, very, very long time,” said Atticus Richardson, a baseball fan from Alexandria, Va.
“One thing America has, if nothing else, is baseball,” Kemp said.
As both Major League Baseball and America celebrate monumental birthdays, fans say the American spirit remains strong from the youngest players to the pros.
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