does the game get any better?

Baseball has so many exciting elements woven into the fabric of the game. The pregame batting practice, the singing of the national anthem, the usual crack of the bat, the "umph" sound the ball makes as it flys into a readied glove, the smiles, the anguish, the cheering of the fans, the booing of the fans, the heartache, the elation, the expression on little boy's faces, the expression on old men's faces, the manager vs. umpire bouts, the remarkable plays on the ball, the calculated pitches, the thrill of stealing a base, the strategy, the smells of the park, the unpredictability, the seventh inning stretch "take me out to the ballgame", the trivia, ballpark dogs, the open air, the double plays, charging the mound, the home runs, doubles, triples, beating out the throw, diving catches, leaping into the sea of fans to catch a foul ball, tactical pitching changes, gutsy base running calls, predicting where the batter will hit the ball, behind the back circus esque vendor throws, salted peanuts, sunflower seeds, waves of fans wearing their favorite ballcaps, dugout antics, standing ovations, nail-biting suspense, the theme music as the top closer runs out of the bullpen and onto the field, and the raw emotion of players and fans alike. This is the game I love, this is the game I long for.

One may ask, does it get any better than this? Well, I didn't think it could until I witnessed the pregame performance inside Yankee Stadium before game two of the World Series. Alicia Keys peforming inside a ballpark, during the World Series, in New York City, singing "Empire State of Mind," well, it was, for lack of a better word, perfect. See the video of the performance below: