LOL!
Baseball is a great sport and not that dangerous! I was unlucky, I guess. I also coached for three years...safety is a BIG concern for the kid's leagues (lawsuits and all)
We used steel spikes when I was in elementary school. Didn't use full helmets.
I love baseball. If it hadn't been for that rotator cuff tear, who knows? (we all think we coulda if we hadda)
I remember playing little league (3rd base--all glove no hit) and I can't remember a single second where I was bored. I also caught some and, there, too, I was never bored. But I'd often gaze into the outfield and see our rightfielder talking to his glove, or tossing it up in the air for a catch, or digging in his nose.
I guess the point is that the "closer" you are to the action, the more the action is palpable. The same goes for viewing sports. I played soccer in HS and, so, have developed an appreciation for what someone can do with a soccer ball (how about kicking a ball 50 yards downfield ahead of a teammate who is sprinting down the sideline and leading him just so as the ball takes its second bounce it is on his foot. this is not accident, this is skill.). I shot a bit of golf, and marvel at how the tour players are able to consistently hit the greens from all angles, lies, etc. I've driven my car ('67 Buick Grand Sport) at around 120 mph (once, on route 208 in NJ--dang fool! car was too light in the back; I was all over the road) and I marvel at the concentration of NASCAR drivers taking turns at 190 about 2 inches off the bumper of the man in front of them. In each case I've had a personal up-close view of the action. I appreciate what these folks can do.