A 'pastime' as a description is sometimes just not enough. Baseball across the globe and in particular America has shaped and evolved the way we think and interact further than just inside the diamond.
It's an absolute tribute to the game when you peruse through the line-ups in the currents National and American league championships series, it's impossible to notice the wide range of ethnicities that make up the current game.
Baseball is a game of all faiths and religions, it doesn't matter what shade of skin you have or how you speak, this game will embrace you and so will all involved.
In the early years on the diamond baseball was used as to bridge the racial gap, the courage of a few left an impact that helped change a nation through a very difficult time.
In times of national stress, the magic of the diamond brought relief and fun to many cities that just needed an afternoon to relax and forget about the gloom around them.
When the New York Yankees ran out for their first innings at home after the 9/11 attacks on their nation, baseball spoke louder than any politicians' speech or actions.
It galvanised a nation.
It brought normal life back to millions of people. Sure the rubble was still there to everyone one to see, but a pastime restored gave us all hope.
As another season winds up with countless battles left to be had on the mound, spare a thought for those players and fans of the past that made the game so great.
Josh Hinds is a school chaplain on the Gold Coast, a family man and PSI's IT professional. Josh is an experienced writer on international sport.
Josh Hinds' previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/joshua-hinds.html