The Preponderance of Being Pedantic

 

Screenshot of article on The Athletic

It feels like, as a people, we're a collection of know-it-alls, always wanting to be right.

I see it on social media every day.

A post gets written and, in minutes, someone is out to tell why it is wrong.

It might surprise you to know how often I simply bite my tongue or, in the virtual world, fingers.

Sure, I believe in correcting errors but I think there's also a point where it's just not worth it.

Let's take the picture at the top of the post as an example. It's about Josh Rawitch, the president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. More to the point, it's about Rawitch and his obsession with the Dave Matthews Band. It was written by Zach Buchanan.

The passage that caught my eye, in particular, was the part about the location of the Hall of Fame. Specifically, "...the intersection of New York state routes 80 and 26..."

And I knew immediately that it was wrong.

Look, if we're really being extra persnickety, I could add that the Hall of Fame is a few blocks away from the intersection in question. That's simply a little literary license. The bigger point is that it's not the intersection of routes 80 and 26. 

It's 80 and 28.

Twenty-eight.

NY state route 28 is a 281-mile road that begins in Kingston and weaves its way to Warrensburg. I've driven it from Kingston to, where else? Cooperstown, where it makes a left turn at route 80 and heads off towards Herkimer and beyond.

Still, route lesson aside, I let it go. I didn't feel like being "that guy."

Yet, by the time I checked back to write this post tonight, it had been corrected. That, of course, is a good thing.

But it's a long way towards making my point. I watch it in the roads world, for instance. Of course, I see it in the sports world as well.

These groups (and others, of course) always seem to have "that guy" who will correct the most needle-like item.

I especially love when people try to give me lessons about history (baseball, Yankees, broadcasting, etc). This is when I pick my battles.

Oh, I don't mean about opinions. We all know, generally, there's no absolute correct when it comes to opinions. But facts, on the other hand?

So that's the thing, of course. This isn't just about correcting a big mistake but about correcting the most minuscule of mistakes.

In this case, leaving the story that mentioned NY route 26 instead of 28 wasn't going to change the world.

Saying Cooperstown is in Canada would be worth changing. Just as a for instance.

Why can't we simply just say "it's not worth it" when it comes to this stuff? Wouldn't we be nicer people overall?

I know. I'm out of my mind. Grasping at straws here.

Instead, we'll just keep being divided and spewing the same talking points.

Yeah. That will work.

I'll leave you with a picture of some "overrated shortstop" and his wife.

(Happy belated birthday, Derek Jeter)