Not being the flag-waving type but harboring a passing interest in baseball, the pregame playing of the national anthem always presented a problem for me. For political reasons that require a more detailed explanation than this column space allows, I’d long refused to stand for the umpteenth turgid rendition of the nation’s overblown theme song, a practice that typically results in heated debates with my gameday companions. Tired of missing the first few innings of play embroiled in pointless political arguments, I’d simply made a habit of downing a few extra beers until the second or third inning and then entering PNC Park. I was feeling pretty smug about subverting what, in my opinion, is an unnecessary display of forced patriotism — that is, until last Saturday night. Just before the seventh-inning stretch, the stadium’s public address system announced the impending obligation to stand and salute the flag while singing “God Bless America.” Now this wasn’t fair ball. I’ve never understood why a game as nonpolitical and international in flavor as baseball needed a confirmation of American patriotism before the first pitch was thrown. Now they were evoking the shrill musings of Kate Smith just when we were supposed to be thinking of peanuts and Cracker Jacks. The whole thing started back just after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when “God Bless America” was sung only at home openers. For a while, last year, fans in several stadiums grew understandably bored with the song. But with the country still engaged in conflict, well, you just can’t be reminded enough times — literally and figuratively — of where you’re standing. The masterminds behind Major League Baseball have wrapped themselves so tightly in the flag, they’re ignoring how most teams, including the Pirates, are comprised of as many Dominicans, Puerto Ricans and Venezuelans as corn-fed yanks. If we’re going to get all teary-eyed about nationalism, shouldn’t we pause the game between each inning to salute the flags of the shortstop, the designated hitter and the guy with the unpronounceable name scratching himself out in the bullpen? Not satisfied just turning the games played on U.S. soil into modern day Nuremburg rallies, MLB has even required Canadian teams and exhibition games played in Puerto Rico to sing along as well. Or should I say, or else• Baseball, like most sports, is supposed to provide a way to get away from it all. Even patriotism and politics.

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