Stepping up to the plate

The pitcher threw the first pitch down the middle of the strike zone. The umpire called the pitch strike one. The pitcher gave a little smirk and threw his second pitch. The batter promptly put the ball over the left field fence.

A home run. The batter rounded the bases for the first run of the game.

Oh, baseball involves athleticism and timing. When you cut the game down to its core, though, it comes down to two men playing chess. I want your king, you want mine. It’s the pitcher holding the ball in his hand and saying, “Here’s my best pitch. What are you going to do about it?”

And the batter digs into the batter’s box and says in return, “Give me everything you’ve got.”

The Major League Baseball season got underway last week with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs playing two games in Japan. The rest of the league will kick off the season Thursday and Friday.

Take me out to the ball game, Take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack, I don’t care if I never get back.

The baseball season is a long season. There’s an ebb and flow to a 162-game season. Like life there’s highs and lows and challenges and smooth sailing. The teams that manage the ebb and flow the best will be the ones that come out on top at the end of the season.

Over the years, my interest in baseball has fallen off. Oh, I love getting to a game or two each year. I still love cracking some peanuts or munching on a hot dog or burger and watching a game. I just can’t stand the business of the game — how the discrepancies between the haves and have nots have increased beyond recognition. For example, the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees have two of the highest payrolls in baseball at $278 and $275 million respectively, while the Pittsburgh Pirates’ have one of the lowest payrolls, coming in just over a quarter of the Yankees at $75.2 million.

How’s that competitive? No, money doesn’t mean everything in baseball, but it certainly plays a role. With a payroll like that, success for the Pirates will be ending the season with a 500 record.

It’s depressing, but I find I keep coming back.

Let me root, root, root for the home team, If they don’t win, it’s a shame. For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out, At the old ball game.

For me, the start of the baseball season has always been the first real sign of spring. Oh there’s fake spring and summer. There’s mud season and rainy season. The start of baseball though means that spring really is here. And it will soon be t-shirt and shorts weather. There’s other things:

–Birds like robins, chickadees, sparrows, and finches start singing.

–Daffodils start to emerge.

–Bumblebees are awakened by the warmth of the sun and start buzzing around in search of nectar to recharge. 

–Butterflies start to appear, hunting for food and adding to the vibrant spectrum of colors that emerge in spring. 

–Finally, there’s school kids getting out of school, their hoodies draped around their waists, running and playing.

Yes, here’s to spring and the start of the baseball season.