“Baseball Been Berry, Berry Good To Me”

Thank God Springtime has arrived. I’ve had entirely enough of short, chilly days during which I wring my hands in despair over the house building process. At times it feels that the hands of the clock are spinning in a counter-clockwise direction. So, I embrace the gradually elongating days; days that herald the beginning of baseball season. I have been a fan of the National Pastime since I was a kid. Since I desperately need to pass time during the home construction debacle, I am delighted to be able to turn to the ball diamond.

As SNL’s Garrett Morris exclaimed through fictional ballplayer Chico Escuela, “Baseball been berry, berry good to me.” When I was a kid, I followed the Pittsburgh Pirates, and quickly added the Baltimore Orioles as my favorite American League team when I moved to Charm City to attend college. Way back in those days, both teams were regular contenders. In recent years (decades) it has been painful to back the Buc’s and the O’s. Let’s just say I haven’t had a horse in the race for far too long.

But wait! Have you seen the MLB standings? As of May 10, 2023, the Orioles are in a strong second place in the AL East with a .639 winning percentage, and the Pirates are in 1st place in the National League Central. Yes, it’s too early to pop the champagne cork, but a gal can dream.

We recently attended a daytime O’s game against the Red Sox. The seats were great, the crowd was enthusiastic, the smell of Old Bay was in the air, the Skipjack Pilsner was cold, and we put the game in the win column.

The best baseball, however, can be found on the little league field. It is here that players are developed. It is on these shortened fields that kids learn the nuances of the game. They learn “the situation.” It is here that youngsters learn to pick off a runner, to catch a long, fly ball, and to “double ’em up.” What’s more, the price of admission is reasonable. Show up with your own chair, your own popcorn and peanuts, and enjoy watching the team’s skill level grow as the season progresses.

It is between these chalk lines that kids learn the importance of teamwork, the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat. These are life lessons that reach far beyond the sand lot.

If I’m going to homeless, I like to do it from behind home plate.

Speaking of homeless, still no concrete closing date in sight. We did, however, manage to get the boat in the water. The boat has a house. We do not. Something seems a little inside-out with this scenario.

Stay tuned…