My friend brought up the observation that all his friends who enjoy curling also happen to be big baseball fans. I fit under that category. But why is that?

Curling and baseball are two different sports. One is a summer game, the other is a winter game. One involves ice and the other involves grass. One is about striking a solid circular object, while the other one is about paving a path for one.

Ultimately, it could simply come down to two elements: placement and format.

The goal of curling is all about the placement of the rock. Much like baseball pitchers, location is so key to the success of the game. With the help of teammates framing the perfect location for the rock, it’s like a catcher setting up the strike zone for the pitcher. Both are a game of inches and there’s a lot of strategy that goes into it. None of it is rushed like basketball’s fast breaks, but it’s a calculated chess match where all the potential outcomes are in play.

The format of the game is like baseball. There are 10 frames for curling and nine for baseball aka innings. Each team gets their shot in each frame to play. It’s simple to follow with no time restraints or a shot clock or anything like it.

Maybe that’s why I like this game. The similarities to baseball are right there.

Or maybe it’s because it’s a weird sport. I only get to watch it once every four years and it’s still an unknown to the general American public. Yet the rules are simple but the strategies can get very complicated. Either way, it’s fun for me and I am staying up late to watch it. Add that with hockey and I am not getting any sleep this week.

Curling is great. Go watch it. Enjoy it.