Take Me Out To The Ball Game
There is something in the air. The same vibe we feel every year at this time. No matter where we are or what we are doing we can sense it.
Whether it is 70 degrees and sunny, raining and cold, or even in some cases there is snow on the ground, it is all around us.
Every year, the first week of April, the buzz is everywhere. It is opening day of the Major League Baseball season.
On this magical day no matter who we are -- a casual fan or a hardcore baseball junkie -- we can feel the excitement in our bones. Even non-baseball fans realize that it is opening day.
Among the unexplainable phenomena that occur on the first Monday of April is the mysterious ailment that strikes many people. The disease causes mass absences, depleting attendance at schools and temporarily crippling the American workforce. For some reason the illness is only treatable by going to the stadium or watching the game on television.
Opening day is magical for many reasons. After six long weeks of watching 19-year old hopefuls, 40-something has-beens and career minor leaguers in Florida and Arizona, opening day is usually the first look we get at the lineup our team is going to go to war with for most of the season.
It is also a day when everyone is even and no team is better than yours. Everyone is 0-0 and has a shot at an undefeated season.
There are 30 teams we swear are going to win it all.
We are so sure that our favorite player is going to win the Most Valuable Player award, our team's ace will win the Cy Young, and our arch-rivals will finish dead last.
Opening day is also a day when we can look back at the past and hope for the future. This year we wonder if the Mets can return to the postseason and perhaps even take the next step. We wonder if Alex Rodriguez will be able to keep his dick out of Derek Jeter’s ass long enough to get a clutch hit. And whether the Detroit Tigers can repeat their unexpected success of a season ago.
Who will throw a perfect game this season? Who will emerge as baseball's next superstar? It is a day full of possibilities and promise that can not even be tainted by Gary Matthews Jr. or Barry Bonds.
On opening day we witness grand ceremonies at stadiums across the country. We hear superstars singing the National Anthem and see celebrities, world leaders and past baseball greats throwing out the first pitch.
It is also a day when we see both teams throw their aces at each other, and we get to see the new acquisitions for the first time when it counts. We get our first looks at some of the new stadiums, and see the changes some teams have made to their old haunts.
Teams that are lucky to draw 5,000 a game during the season suddenly have packed houses on opening day. Everybody wants to be a part of it.
After a long cold winter, there is nothing like walking through the tunnel out to your seats at the stadium and seeing the green grass glistening in the sunlight, as the players in their crisp clean uniforms warm up on the field.
From the red, white and blue celebratory bunting hanging from the stands, to the pre-game introductions, it is all part of the magic.
Around town, every bar and restaurant has the game up on the big screen. The patrons explode in glee with every hit their team gets and every defensive gem their player turns in.
There are people on the streets listening to the game on their portable radios. The old men in the park playing checkers, or those sitting on their porches, hang onto every pitch as the announcer's voice blares out. Memories of Joe D, The Mick, and the Splendid Splinter dance about in their heads.
No other sport is capable of causing this mass hysteria. No other game captures our hearts and imaginations like baseball. Opening day is the christening of a new season that will bring us joy, sadness and a whole new set of memories for us to forever replay in our minds.
As we settle into our seat at the ballpark, or get comfortable in our favorite easy chair in our living rooms or den, remember how the day makes us feel. Remember the feeling as the life is breathed back into our bodies when the man in blue points to the pitcher and barks the words we have been waiting to hear since
October. “Play ball!'”
Whether it is 70 degrees and sunny, raining and cold, or even in some cases there is snow on the ground, it is all around us.
Every year, the first week of April, the buzz is everywhere. It is opening day of the Major League Baseball season.
On this magical day no matter who we are -- a casual fan or a hardcore baseball junkie -- we can feel the excitement in our bones. Even non-baseball fans realize that it is opening day.
Among the unexplainable phenomena that occur on the first Monday of April is the mysterious ailment that strikes many people. The disease causes mass absences, depleting attendance at schools and temporarily crippling the American workforce. For some reason the illness is only treatable by going to the stadium or watching the game on television.
Opening day is magical for many reasons. After six long weeks of watching 19-year old hopefuls, 40-something has-beens and career minor leaguers in Florida and Arizona, opening day is usually the first look we get at the lineup our team is going to go to war with for most of the season.
It is also a day when everyone is even and no team is better than yours. Everyone is 0-0 and has a shot at an undefeated season.
There are 30 teams we swear are going to win it all.
We are so sure that our favorite player is going to win the Most Valuable Player award, our team's ace will win the Cy Young, and our arch-rivals will finish dead last.
Opening day is also a day when we can look back at the past and hope for the future. This year we wonder if the Mets can return to the postseason and perhaps even take the next step. We wonder if Alex Rodriguez will be able to keep his dick out of Derek Jeter’s ass long enough to get a clutch hit. And whether the Detroit Tigers can repeat their unexpected success of a season ago.
Who will throw a perfect game this season? Who will emerge as baseball's next superstar? It is a day full of possibilities and promise that can not even be tainted by Gary Matthews Jr. or Barry Bonds.
On opening day we witness grand ceremonies at stadiums across the country. We hear superstars singing the National Anthem and see celebrities, world leaders and past baseball greats throwing out the first pitch.
It is also a day when we see both teams throw their aces at each other, and we get to see the new acquisitions for the first time when it counts. We get our first looks at some of the new stadiums, and see the changes some teams have made to their old haunts.
Teams that are lucky to draw 5,000 a game during the season suddenly have packed houses on opening day. Everybody wants to be a part of it.
After a long cold winter, there is nothing like walking through the tunnel out to your seats at the stadium and seeing the green grass glistening in the sunlight, as the players in their crisp clean uniforms warm up on the field.
From the red, white and blue celebratory bunting hanging from the stands, to the pre-game introductions, it is all part of the magic.
Around town, every bar and restaurant has the game up on the big screen. The patrons explode in glee with every hit their team gets and every defensive gem their player turns in.
There are people on the streets listening to the game on their portable radios. The old men in the park playing checkers, or those sitting on their porches, hang onto every pitch as the announcer's voice blares out. Memories of Joe D, The Mick, and the Splendid Splinter dance about in their heads.
No other sport is capable of causing this mass hysteria. No other game captures our hearts and imaginations like baseball. Opening day is the christening of a new season that will bring us joy, sadness and a whole new set of memories for us to forever replay in our minds.
As we settle into our seat at the ballpark, or get comfortable in our favorite easy chair in our living rooms or den, remember how the day makes us feel. Remember the feeling as the life is breathed back into our bodies when the man in blue points to the pitcher and barks the words we have been waiting to hear since
October. “Play ball!'”
posted by SJPSandman at
8:56 PM
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1 comments
