(Editor’s Note: The following is an article from Amanda Howell’s new blog site Faith, Fastballs & Flannels. It has been re-posted here in its entirety with her permission)

Babe Ruth once said “baseball was, is, and will always be the greatest game in the world”. I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. Baseball has always been a part of my life and changed my perspective. I may not have ever played the game, but the game has been critical to shaping me into the person I am today.

I was born on a late October night in 1996. Being an October baby to a family who already loved baseball, you can probably guess what my Mom was doing in the hospital awaiting my arrival. Yes, watching game 5 of the World Series between the Yankees and the Braves. I’m pretty sure I came into the world to Vin Scully announcing the game on the radio. You could say I was “born into” the love of the game. In each phase of my life I can honestly say baseball was there. Baseball has taught me what hard work looks like, how to impact others, how to study and learn the rules, and what I want my future to look like.

Every summer I remember getting in the car and driving the hour to Dodger Stadium. Since I was four years old it was always my favorite place to be. Sure, at first it was the hot dogs and soft serve that came in cute little helmets, but it soon began to grow into a deep love. I could easily be entertained just watching every aspect of the game, from where the pitch crossed the plate, to how the hitters stood in the box, everything fascinated me about the game, but I never felt personally attached to it until a few years ago. It was a September afternoon in 2012, my Dad and I went to a Dodger game. It was a hot afternoon, but a beautiful day in the stadium. I remember that we got there really early since we did not hit any traffic (really rare for anyone who lives in Los Angeles).

Our seats were right by the bullpen and I sat there and stared at Josh Beckett, the starting pitcher that day, and watched him as he warmed up. I was so intrigued by how precise everything was and I noticed how fast he was throwing being that up-close. I knew a talent like that must require such practice and hard work. The whole world seemed to fade away as I was taking in his bullpen session. Right after he finished all the fans began yelling his name and asking him to sign their baseballs, still in a trance I just looked at him in awe. That was the moment that he took the ball he was just warming up with and threw it to me. I caught it right in my seat and smiled proudly at my Dad. I can truthfully say that moment changed my life, not because a “celebrity athlete” paid attention to me, but because in that moment I knew baseball was more than a game. It was more than a game that I could just watch on a TV or at a stadium; I now had a personal moment to think about when people talked about baseball. It was that moment; I realized I had fallen in love with the game.

Baseball has taught me that you can use that platform to impact others. I am proud to say I was in attendance June [18], 2014 to personally see Clayton Kershaw’s no hitter. Who would have guessed my seven dollar seats would be something I would remember for a lifetime? Clayton Kershaw has taught me much more than what throwing a no hitter looks like. He and his wife Ellen started an organization called Kershaw’s Challenge. Kershaw’s Challenge impacts thousands of people around the world, but one thing they do has become really close to my heart. They have an orphanage in Africa that only ten kids live in. My family has had the honor of sponsoring one of the boys, Fred, every month for the past two years. Baseball has shown me how talent and hard work can be the reason why a small boy in Africa has a place to live, clothes to wear and a school to attend. It is the reason why all of this is possible. Not only am I passionate about baseball, but also about their orphanage and my dream is to meet Fred in person one day, until then I continue to be amazed by how a sport can change the world.

It is important to be passionate about something, but I have taken the next step and educated myself on the sport. Pretty much every research paper I have ever had to write in school has been about a player who changed the game, Jackie Robinson, Derek Jeter, and Babe Ruth to just name a few. Baseball statistics are always going through my mind and something I continue to learn with each season. On an average afternoon you can find me watching Intentional Talk, or MLB Tonight on MLB Network. During the off season I’m the first one to study up on trade deadlines and special draft or payroll rules. If all else fails you can always find me in my room watching Moneyball. I also have a talent for being able to quote that entire movie, to my family and friends dismay.

For the past three years, I have made the six and a half hour road trips to Spring Training in Phoenix, Arizona just to study the game even more and learn about the upcoming players and prospects. That at times is the reason you can find me watching the players practice at 9AM on a back field. I want to be the most educated I can be on the game. Baseball to me does not have a season, it is life. If it’s not a Spring Training, regular season, or post season, it is watching Moneyball late at night or listening to what is being reported on MLB Network.

My dream is to work in baseball one day whether that is on field reporting or a marketing coordinator I’m not sure yet. I am already making this dream a reality by majoring in Business Sports Management. I know that it will require a lot of work on my behalf because the sport is still very dominated by males I will have to prove that I know my stuff, but I’m up for the challenge. I want to be an example to other girls that “diamonds truly are a girl’s best friend”, I just like a little dirt on mine. All in all, baseball means the world to me. It has taught me valuable lessons like how to work hard, how it can be used to change the lives of others, and that it is a game to study and learn about. Lastly, it has become something I would love to be a part of for the rest of my life. I love baseball, “no if ands or bunts”