Opening Day

I can think of a number of reasons why I should hate Major League Baseball.

Whiny, overpriced players. Greedy owners. $6 hot dogs and $15 parking. Steroids. The New York Goddamn Yankees. The Seligs. World Series games that drag into November.

In theory, everyone should hate MLB. But I can't.

I spent 97.7% of my childhood on baseball. (The remaining 2.3% was spent running away from or being stung by bees.) I pretended to smack 95-mph fastballs over the fence (in real life, the woodshed in the backyard). I collected about a kajillion baseball cards, all of which actually survive to this day in their home under my bed. I played Little League for 8 years until I realized I couldn't hit or throw a curveball. I went to countless games at County Stadium in Milwaukee, including the last one ever.

After all the time and effort I put into the game as a kid, I can't just dismiss it now. It's such a simple game - just hit, throw and catch a ball - but with more than enough complexities and idiosyncrasies to keep it interesting. Yeah, it can get boring watching a game on TV, but there's nothing quite like catching a game in person. Which reminds me... the Savannah Sand Gnats are about to start losing again. And how will Mr. Hilton Hed adjust to Thirsty Thursdays now that he works on Fridays?

And hey, my Milwaukee Brewers actually won their first game. Even though the Brewers soon will settle into their familiar 5th place position, they're in first place right now. However unrealistic, there's still hope for this year...

• Posted by Brian at 9:01 PM
• Comments (2)
• Category: Sports