If there ever was a sport that can find its way into the far reaches of the galaxy in a form that we would recognize today it would be baseball. I have always love the way that the creators of Star Trek Deep Space Nine brought the game into the 24th Century through the Commander of DS9 Benjamin Sisko who brought the game with him when he was assigned at the Bajoran space station. Of course in the new era one race took to baseball with a passion, a logical one of course was the Vulcan’s. Yes the pointy eared, green blooded and coldly logical race saw the game for what it is, a game of logic and beauty worthy of emulation.
Throughout the series, beginning the in first episode we see the references to baseball especially the one prominently displayed on Sisko’s desk. Sisko plays ball with his son Jake on the holdeck and talks about his son striking him out when meeting an old friend. However it is in the episode Take Me Out to the Holosuite that we see the game played.
In that episode a Vulcan crewed Federation ship captained by Captain Solok, a former classmate and tormentor of Commander Sisko stops at the ship. Solok loves baseball and his ship has what he calls the “finest in the fleet” and challenger’s Sisko to a game. Sisko, still smarting from a wrestling match with Solok at the Academy hastily organizes a team, though only he and Jake have played the game before.
The game of course is no contest. The Vulcans defeat the Deep Space Nine “Niners” by a score of 10-1. The game is marred a bit when Constable Odo, the Umpire throws Sisko out of the game for poking him in the chest in the 7th inning. Controversy again envelops the game when Solok is thrown out by Odo for protesting the Niner’s celebration of scoring their only run in the 9th inning. I guess that Solok learned a bit much about the game by studying Ty Cobb.
As for Sisko who cannot help but not love the fact that he takes his love of baseball and the San Francisco Giants to DS-9.
Since baseball has returned again it is appropriate to celebrate it, even in the realm of science fiction. As both Sisko and Solok might say “play ball!”
Peace
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