This week's weird object reminds us that teams have reported for spring training, and the training is underway. I am a fairly passive baseball fan, but it's always good to see spring training underway, because, I mean, hey, it's SPRING training.I have had a long happy association with baseball. Growing up in Baltimore, I was an Orioles fan back in the day when it was quite fun to be an Orioles fan - the Robinsons Brooks and Frank, Luis, Jim Palmer, the Earl Weaver days, etc. Good times.
Then the 90's were pretty fun times to be here in the Cleveland area. The Tribe almost...almost smelled the sweet smell of (World Series) success, but for a fluke of a Marlins team. But it was fun and my son was of the age that he was following Jim Thome and Omar and a number of others who made it a special team.
But baseball teams tend more and more toward the revolving door model, where a player is "loyal" up to and not beyond the date of free agency. Then it is a pure business model and it's all "follow the money" and "show me the money".
And the beauty is that money is not the only thing that produces victory. Take THAT, Yankees!!! I mean, the Yankees have their own annual stratospheric stimulus package with their payroll madness. It is always fun when they do not land in the playoffs, or get eliminated early on. (Apologies to Yankee fans out there. Insincere, but apologies just the same.)
I think I like the concept of baseball better than the actual game. The idea of a national pastime. Not a sport but a pastime. The leisurely pace. The smell of mustard. The sound of crack and roar. The patina of cerebral play and ploy that pervades the pastime. (Ok, I will not write any more sentences like that...). The perfect green-ness of the grass. Watching the flag to see if there is any breeze. Watching the scoreboard to see how the other teams are doing around the league. Just for the evening, actually caring about how the other teams are doing.
Yeah, I'm ready for the concept of baseball, and maybe for even an actual game or two.
5 comments:
I do remember that one season in the 90's when we got so close to having a winning team. My kids were still in elementary school back then. Everyone's enthusiasm was pretty infectious, even for me, though I'm not a huge fan of baseball.
So this weird little guy comes out to welcome spring at you house. I agree spring also brings to mind baseball, and living in the Cincinnati area you can only imagine the hoopla that goes on around here, even thou there will never be another Big Red Machine.
We cheer for our hometown teams................ and anyone who beats the Yankees.
I'm just glad that Mike Mussina retired and never got that World Series ring he left Baltimore to get.
Not all the players leave for greener($) pastures. Remember Cal Ripkin the last of the great Orioles.
(and he did it without his brother giving him shots in the butt)
Yup Ben you recognized me.
The bightest day of each baseball season is the one where the Yanks get eliminated.
By the way I was Anon on you comment page for Chad and Jeremy too.
I like to go to an O's game now and then. Nothing like a live baseball game.
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