A New Season

The 2012 baseball season will soon commence with the start of spring training, and though I look forward to it just as the millions of fans across the country do, I find myself waxing nostalgic for the days I played the game myself.

I work a nine-to-five now, follow the game, play fantasy baseball, and try to stay connected to the game as much as possible. I’m a member of SABR and of this blog.

I have been remiss in my contributions, but I have resolved to change that with the new year and with my recently attained status of senior citizen.

I never thought I would be one of those people who would look back and pine for the glory years, but that is exactly what I find myself doing. Perhaps the reason for it is that what I really miss is playing the game.

Big leaguers were my inspiration to play as a child, but as the years went by and it became apparent I would never have the skills to play beyond sandlot baseball, I became more of a follower of the game, although I have enjoyed the various softball leagues I have been associated with throughout the years.

I look forward to playing in a senior league when I retire, but until then I will continue to write about the game which has caused me to wait with bated breath each off-season only to be left deflated by what I see on the field.

Like spring, when hope is eternal, I come back to the game, excited at season’s start only to be disappointed at what I see on the field: a bastardization of the game I grew up with ( an entry for a later date). The contest itself remains constant; it’s the details that have changed and as we all know, the devil is there.

Now,  I don’t want to leave the impression that I have become entirely disillusioned. I’m excited when I watch players at the amateur level who are playing with the heart and enthusiasm necessary to succeed, and the adrenaline rushes when I watch the Padres-Dodgers rivalry or when I’m in Anaheim caught up in the frenzied atmosphere of an Angels game.

I realize that the game cannot be a constant rush, but when I leave the stadium I want to feel that the game I have just watched was one that my own children would look back on fondly, and when they reach my age, be inspired to say those were the golden days of baseball.

I fear they will not be able to do that. What the modern game will allow them to do is comment on it from moment to moment via modern technology. Thankfully, I am not too old to appreciate that about the game, for I would not be able to give voice to my thoughts to such a wide audience without it.

Baseball I am passionate about whether I am loving it or hating it at the moment, and finally, I’ve begun my story.