10

 10. The interplay among pitcher, catcher, and batter. Or among a quarterback, receiver, and a defensive player trying to prevent the pass from being caught. The patterns of tension and release of tension are like those of a musical composition. My father told me he preferred games of situation, in which every discrete play is defined by a series of terms (bottom of the eighth, two men on base, one out, home team is behind three runs, so tieing run is at the plate). He wasn’t as fond of games of fluid motion, like basketball or hockey. These are two poetic systems that are equally worthy of respect.