WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – Baseball will be front and center as the U.S. celebrates its 250th birthday this summer.<\/p>\n
Fans at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., reflected on what the national pastime means to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it, a baseball, apple pie and Chevrolet. So it means it is the American sport,\u201d said Dennis Kemp, a baseball fan from Laurel, Md.<\/p>\n
From little league fields to the 40,000 fans at Nationals Park, baseball is woven into the American fabric.<\/p>\n
\u201cBaseball has always been there. Every year, from 9\/11 to, you know, now, you know, baseball is like a it\u2019s a staple every year. Every spring, you know, you come out, play every day,\u201d said Armando Miranda III, a baseball fan from Long Beach, Calif.<\/p>\n
Baseball hasn\u2019t always been part of the American story. Major League Baseball was founded in 1876, a century after America\u2019s founders signed the Declaration of Independence. But since MLB started, the sport has captured the hearts and minds of fans, young and old.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s incredible. It\u2019s the American sport. It\u2019s been around for a very, very, very, very, very long time,\u201d said Atticus Richardson, a baseball fan from Alexandria, Va.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing America has, if nothing else, is baseball,\u201d Kemp said.<\/p>\n
As both Major League Baseball and America celebrate monumental birthdays, fans say the American spirit remains strong from the youngest players to the pros.<\/p>\n
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