That time of year again...
Ahh, its that time of the year again... After 4 months void of our national pastime (other than the afternoon fix via an XM baseball talk show "The Show"), the teams have/are reporting to spring training, the anticipation is building, and I feel about 17 all over again. One night last week I stared at the ceiling trying to convince my brain to get away from thinking about the game itself and the coming season, nights on the deck listening to a game or two on the radio, nights at the local short season minor league park (albeit its the Cubs system), who the best choice is for the 3rd round of the fantasy baseball draft, and on and on for hours just thinking not sleeping (after an 18 hour day of work at that).Baseball has even found its way into work for me - I had the opportunity to sell a former property of major league slugger Harmon Killebrew - common folklore suggest he's the silhouette in the mlb logo. What a cool thing...
Every way I look at it I can only come to the conclusion that this game is THE game - the knowledge of the game, the mental game, the details, physical talent, and their culmination. To touch the tip of the iceberg on why this is the greatest game would take months of writing and even then might only be appreciated with some insight to and a heart response to the dynamic of the game.
Its an excitement welling up like that first spring day when the sun comes out and the temperature hits the 60's for the first time, you can smell spring in the air and you find yourself out in the yard making sure all your fishing equipment is ready to go at moments notice, a little Jimmy Buffet playing in the background, and a few tasty brews - and you smile knowing the winter was worth the wait.
posted by john at 7:43 PM
2 Comments:
I loved playing little league when I was a kid, but when the baseball strike happened I gave u being a fan (I still have the complete set of upper deck 1991 though). I became, like many, re-interested during the homerun races, but again disinterested during the steroid scandels. Its hard to have humans as heros.
I agree - I was a little in the same boat with the strike. The steroid issues while a problem that looks to be getting cleaned up along side of greenies in new drug testing policies, hasn't had quite the same effect on me personally. It's disheartening to wonder if records should stand, should they have an asterik by them (a discussed and in place soln. until the early 90's when
Maris beat Babe's single season record - due to the extra games).
I myself have gotten caught up in following individual players - the latest one of Kansas' own - Johnny Damon. I started following him when he came up in the Royals minor league system in Wichita then to KC, Oakland, Red Sox, and this season with the Yankees. I'm ok with all the changes up to the most recent and now I'm torn because I don't think I can root for the yankees in any setting. I would have made the same move however if I was in his place.
I think it boils down to a difference in how one looks at the game. Its really easy to feel let down by human heroes but if you see the game as it is - the game being bigger than the individual(s)as it is to me the waves are a little easier to ride out.
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