Men at work
For professional athletes the play is work.
There is a routine. There is consistent practice. Before a game there are hours of preparation that have similarities to the rhythmn of any work place. There is conservation of energy for the moment of truth. In the case of the Hartford Yard Goats, a minor league baseball team, the moment of truth could be a key pitch, a clutch hit, or the perfect throw to second base.
All summer long the young men of the minor leagues come to work, perfecting their craft with an eye toward winning the next game, and their chance to take the field in the major leagues. Batting practice is where the work gets done before most of the fans arrive.