Why I love Baseball

Note: all images obtained from a Google image search at google.com

It's that time of year again, folks.

 “Right side…. BASE HIT! Castillo scores! Here comes Mauer and the Twins win it!! They’ve beaten Rivera and the Yankees!!”

“Ground ball right side base hit! Here comes Gomez around 3^rd… there will be NO PLAY!! THE TWINS HAVE WON THE CENTRAL!!!”

Why do I love baseball?

Really, is that even a question?

As the dreariness of winter gives way to the promise of spring, hope is renewed for 30 franchises.  From the smell of freshly cut grass to the feel of the rosin bag to the sight of the white chalk lines aligned at a 90 degree angle from the dish, players, coaches, and fans know their favorite time of year is just around the corner.

Opening Day.

And so will begin the 162-game campaign, a journey not for the faint of heart.  Players will battle nicks and bruises along the way, managers will try to explain to the press why he brought in a LOOGY instead of his closer with a runner at 3^rd and 2 out in the 8^th, and fans will scream and yell at their TVs, believing it’s the fault of umpire X or player Y.  Each group displays its own incredible passion for America’s pastime, and the sport continues to thrive and build a deeper and richer history with each passing season.

As for where my passion comes from?  My passion lies in the roots of the small market, of David triumphing over Goliath.  My beloved Minnesota Twins have conquered the AL Central division in six of the past nine seasons, despite consistently having payrolls less than half of that of the rival Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox (granted, the new ballpark has changed the economic landscape substantially, but still), and with more than one of those titles requiring some incredible drama.  Alas, September magic gives way to October heartbreak, as the big bad Bronx bombers cruelly end our World Series dreams so often (four of the six playoff appearances have ended in losses to the Yankees, with two of them sweeps).  But with each coming spring, hope is restored, and I like any other diehard fanatic, will keep on believing that this year will finally be the year.

How much of a fanatic am I?  Put it this way: I’ve written my own personal recap of every Twins game in each of the last two seasons, and posted it to my facebook page following the game (think I’m kidding?  Just check out the right side of this page, or click here and here).  Even when I was in far off places such as India, I still found time to follow my team and write my own personal account of the game from the box score.  My baseball fandom knows no bounds.  And now, armed with a blog and the MLB TV package online on my laptop, I am mentally preparing for another exciting, epic baseball season to come.

It’s the time of year again, folks.  Let’s ratchet it up and get ‘er goin’.