Play Ball!

What a neat photo this is!  This Associated Press photograph shows three Amish men - who didn't want to give their names - getting autographs from Baltimore Orioles manager, Buck Showalter.  I swear the two Amish men to the left look very familiar to me, I'm wondering if I may have met them someplace. It's definitely possible.  This photograph was taken at the sprawling Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, just a stone's throw from the Amish winter enclave of Pinecraft.  Some may be surprised to see the Amish men photographed, but the view among some Amish concerning photography appears to be evolving. While many still avoid the lens, others take a more open view if it's done in a journalistic/documentary type setting. In this case, the cameraman was just out doing his job taking photos so the Amish men probably demurred. Pinecraft, with some exceptions, also tends to not attract the most conservative Amish who would be less likely to be photographed.

Baseball enjoys a high rate of popularity among the Amish.  The game is simple and not as physical/pseudo-violent as football.  Pinecraft is a place where the Amish go to relax, escape some of the rigid rules found up north, and have some fun.  This is a neat photo of three Amish men doing just that.  Play ball!