I am a baseball guy. I have been fascinated with the history of the game and the different characters who have played the sport for some time. Baseball is where I got my start as a writer, back three and a half years ago.
As such, while I was following the Kansas City Royals victory over the Toronto Blue Jays during Game One of the ALCS, my thoughts turned towards Doctor Who. Yes, this was sort of a strange chain of thoughts, but I began to wonder how the Doctor would enjoy baseball, and whether or not he would appreciate the way the game was back in the olden days.
We know that, in some aspects, the Doctor is a bit of a sportsman. We did see the Eleventh Doctor put on a clinic on the pitch, as he soccer skills were far superior to those of a regular human. While the pace of soccer may be more in tune with the younger, more active Eleventh Doctor, that interest in sport may manifest differently with the Twelfth Doctor. Perhaps he would be interested in a more cerebral chess match on the diamond, which baseball certainly provides.
Yes, baseball is an American sport, yet that may not matter. The Doctor has travelled to America before, heading to Manhattan when Amy and Rory were sent back in time by the Weeping Angels and having headed out west when he was fated to be killed by River Song. We know that the diner where the Doctor met Amy and Rory will be back at some point, meaning the Doctor will be back in the States.
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Perhaps, while he is back in the States, the Doctor can take in a baseball game. Depending on the era that he travels to, he could get to see some of the greats, be it Mickey Mantle, Ty Cobb or the colorful characters of yesteryear such as Old Hoss Radbourn or Rube Waddell. If the Doctor came to modern times, would he prefer the American League style with the designated hitter, or the more traditional National League, where pitchers still have to hit?
In the end, as the Royals wrapped up Game One with a 5-0 victory, I could not help but wonder what the Doctor would think of baseball. I feel that he would be a fan, and maybe this can be explored at some point in the future. After all, with his ability to travel through time and his sonic sunglasses, he might be able to get a baseball to do some rather interesting things on the mound. Those soccer skills may have just a hint at what the Doctor could do.