For French people baseball is, at best, a summer camp activity at worst a sport that we despise. In the United States, it is one of the most popular sports. So I went to see this craze at Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox's stadium, a mythical team in a mythical stadium, like Liverpool and Anfield in soccer or the All Blacks and Eden Park in rugby - from what I understand. Located near the center of Boston, the stadium is still in its original state. It keeps a retro aspect and a friendly side with its 38 000 seats when the biggest stadium of the country offers almost 58 000.

Before going there, I went over the rules of the game. They turn out to be pretty simple. One guy throws a ball to another guy (the one with the bat) who has to hit it as far as he can to advance to the four bases on the field. If he clears all of them, his team scores a run. If the guy throwing misses four pitches, the guy with the bat advances one base. However, if the guy batting misses three balls well thrown by the guy pitching, he leaves his spot. When the guy pitching has struck out three guys with a bat, the roles are reversed. The whole thing lasts nine innings, which is an average of more than three hours of game time. Of course I'll spare you the more subtle rules (fake pitching, stolen bases…) because I'm not sure I got it all.

Fighter jet and $12 beer

With the basic knowledge acquired, I was ready to support the team I was told to support, but America wouldn't be what it is without the pre-game ceremony. So, young people not yet old enough to drink alcohol were sworn in to join the military, a choir sang the national anthem in front of an emotional crowd, and a fighter jet flew over the stadium in the middle of the day on a Tuesday afternoon. Then the first inning began. At Fenway, the atmosphere is family friendly. People chatted and sang while vendors tried to sell you a $7.50 lemonade - which I refused, of course, I'm not a sucker and had already spent $17 on a beer and a bottle of water.

Meanwhile, on the field, the players try to entertain us, but baseball is not the most spectacular sport. Of course, you only have to turn your head to miss the action of the game and hear the clamor of the audience as the ball goes to an unknown destination. The only thing left to do is to watch the slow-motion replays on the big screens to relive the thrill. Too late, the moment has passed. Whatever... Beyond the stakes, sport is a unifying force in the United States. And if you ask around, you're probably not the only one who doesn't understand the rules. The important thing is to participate.