MARINA DEL REY, CA -- Why is baseball so popular? Because it exemplifies heroism and purposefulness, said an Ayn Rand Institute senior writer.
     "The essential value of spectator sports, like baseball, lies in their capacity to illustrate, in a dramatic way, the process of human goal-achievement," said Thomas Bowden. "They do this by making the process shorter, simpler, and more visually exciting than it is in daily life -- and by giving us heroes to admire."
     In America, traditional sources of inspiration have dried up, but baseball gives a rare, direct glimpse of heroes in action, said Bowden.
     He noted that sports in general illustrate the standards to which our society should aspire:

Athletes earn their way onto the field by proving their superior ability, not by demanding a handout.
 
Rules are explicit, known in advance, and fair to everyone, not arbitrary and enforced at someone's whim.
 
Athletes take an unapologetic, selfish pride in their abilities and achievements.

     "In a world of life-and-death conflicts, spectator sports give us a 'time-out' -- an opportunity to relax and celebrate human skill, dedication, and success in a spirit of simple joy," said Bowden.