I was fortunate on Tuesday. I was fortunate to scan through the live Major League Baseball games on the internet and tune into the audio broadcast of the final inning of the Red-Giants game.

That may not sound like a thrill for most, but for this baseball fanatic it was exhilarating. Homer Bailey tossing a no-hitter — the second of his career — brought a brief bit of unexpected happiness to my life.

I don’t know Bailey, I don’t root for the Reds (though I am proud to say I have Bailey on my fantasy team) but I am a fan of good baseball and history.

Sometimes we get caught up in life and all the things that matter but ultimately aren’t as important as happiness.

Bailey created a moment for folks like me. He created a moment where I could really sit back and enjoy what was taking place. I had no thoughts of bills or deadlines or emails. No one and nothing mattered in that moment except the fact that I was listening to history.

In the movie Moneyball, Brad Pitt’s character, current Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane said “How can you not be romantic about baseball?”

It’s a good question.

More than any other sport, baseball connects us to history. The NBA has sold out, the NFL has no passion. Baseball, though professional just like the NBA and NFL, has a way of transporting us.

That point is proven by radio.

Listen to any other professional sport on the radio and compare it to baseball, the picture is always better.

There are few bad days that can’t be turned around by witnessing something great. All the smug, negative or selfish people in the world can’t take away that moment.

I go to a lot of ballparks and a lot of games and the thing that I appreciate most about Bailey’s no-hitter is the detachment of the fans. Sure, San Francisco fans and players alike were rooting for a base hit, but as soon as that final out was recorded they did as is customary in baseball, they tipped their caps.

Very seldom to we see that kind of respect at a level other than professionally. We certainly don’t see it at the high school and recreation level. That’s why Bailey’s no-no was so enjoyable.

It was simply a well-pitched game and no one can say differently.

It wasn’t the umpire’s fault or the coach’s fault.

It was Bailey vs. the Giants and Bailey won.

As I said, I was fortunate on Tuesday. That’s my happy story.