Mar24
PLAY BALL
I have a friend (let’s call him Carl) who, after many years, just admitted to me he just doesn’t understand why people watch baseball. And, of course, he doesn’t know that I often blog about baseball and watch it all the time. There are some people you just can’t tell what you do – you know they’ll never get it.
So in a way this is for Carl. It’s hard to believe but it all begins again tomorrow, Tuesday March 25. And if you haven’t yet figured out why humans invented TIVO you have only to contemplate Opening Day 2008.
This season begins in Japan and if you want to watch Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Red Sox go up against the Oakland A’s Joe Blanton you either have to be watching TV at 6:05 EST or make sure you’ve programmed the digital video recorder.
Daisuke Matsuzaka – Photo: Toru Hanai/Reuters
Probably Carl’s Dad or Mom or older brother or sister or uncle never took him to the stadium when he was a boy. There is nothing like the electricity in a major league ballpark. The colors are alive and sparkling: there is nothing quite like the green of the field.
There is a strange multiplying factor of being amongst many many thousands of fans – energy and enthusiasm that builds and builds. Some fans insist on standing in unison in a wave – but there is always an almost invisible fan at work during an exciting baseball game.
You feel it every time there’s a great play at second base; when an outfielder magically outruns a baseball and leaps impossibly high to snag it before it cleans the fence; when a closer blows a fastball past a slugger.
Well I doubt Carl will be watching when the season begins before the dawn, but maybe you will.
Dice-K , having helped the Red Sox to the World Series, returns home to the country where he is a national icon; Joe Blanton, often overshadowed in the past by Barry Zito and Dan Haren, gets his chance to start the new season. As always in sports, there is the human story that affects the boxscore – and that is often as interesting as the number of hits, runs, errors and who wins or loses.
Joe Blanton – Junko Kimura/Getty
Dice-K will once again be pitching at Tokyo Dome, the scene of the first start of his career in Japan with the Seibu Lions. The Nippon Ham Fighters, who, drew about 15,000 for a weekday night found themselves facing Dice-K before 44,000.
And while Dice-K struggled his first year with the Red Sox, teammates like David Ortiz are looking forward to this season: “”I know — and everybody knows — that he can get it done better taking advantage of the experience he has right now and I’m pretty sure he’s going to have a great season, even better than last year, which was an outstanding season.”
A’s manager Dave Geren had this to say about Blanton: “Starting on Opening Day is an honor, and Joe deserves it. He’s been a rock in our rotation for a long time, and this is kind of a reward for that.”
Johan Santana - AP
If 6:05 AM is a stretch for you, here’s a short sample of some of the other opening day games:
In the AL, New York Yankees open Mar 31st against Toronto at 1:05 p.m. ET at the Staidum. The White Sox go against the Indians in Cleveland a little later at 3:05 p.m ET. The Angels are plaing in Minnesota, with a starting time of 7:05 p.m. ET. As for the NL, if you love the Cubbies, they host Milwaukee at 2:20 p.m. ET. The Mets are starting their newly acquired ace Johan Santana at Florida at 4:10 ET. And continuing one of the greatest rivalries in baseball, the Dodgers challenge the Giants at 4:10 p.m. ET.
Carl - you don’t know what you’re missing.
Happy rooting. Play ball.
Barry Zito, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Dan Haren, Dave Geren, David Ortiz, Joe Blanton, Johan Santana, Nippom Ham Fighters, Oakland A's, Seibu Lions, Tokyo Dome
5 Responses to “PLAY BALL”
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James McMahon Mar 25th 2008 at 04:33 pm 1
I definitely agree with you in the fact that there is nothing more electric or exciting then going to a professional baseball game. My first game was a Yankee game when I was about two years of age and I’ve been a die-hard Yankee fan since then. I go to roughly 20-25 games a year now. By the way the Red Sox-Athletic game was a good one today.
http://parfaitcharrette.myopenid.com/ Mar 25th 2008 at 06:21 pm 2
As an athlete I as well like to watch baseball, and I think that it’s even better when you have the opportunity to go to a stadium and watch it live. I grew up in the New York/New Jersey so did my whole family, so we are big fans of the Yankee’s and whenever we get the chance to go watch a game, we drop everything for it. I would tell everyone if they could afford it or if they could just make it to a game, to definitely do it.
Andreas Busch Mar 25th 2008 at 06:32 pm 3
the energy in yankee stadium is going to be rediculous this year seeming that its the last season there. If Carl wants to see why people watch baseball, take him to a game this season and that will answer his question.
http://leonfurst.myopenid.com/ Mar 25th 2008 at 06:32 pm 4
This is Americas past time. I don’t think I have met any person who does not enjoy baseball even if it is watching one game a year. When I think of baseball I think of spring begging and when its over we get hit with cold winter.
Matthias Frankfurter Mar 26th 2008 at 03:20 pm 5
It’s definitely a completely different experience watching a game in person. As far as baseball goes, I’ve only ever been to Yankee Stadium and it has got to be one of the most exciting places I’ve ever been. I’ve sat in the bleachers, the tiers, even 4 rows back from the third base line and each time has been incredible. I prefer sitting in the bleachers because they seem to be where the craziest, loudest and most fun fans are. It’s a great feeling to be a part of the “bleacher creatures” doing the roll call and chanting “box seats suck.” This year is going to be even more insane and definitely sad because there’s nothing like Yankee Stadium, no new stadium can replace the history and “ghosts” this one has. I can’t wait for the season to start, it just won’t feel like spring until I can watch a baseball game everyday of the week.
-M