THE ARIZONA PENGUIN

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Play Ball

I am excited!! I was awake until after 5:00 this morning with no sleep. I got up twice to play at my machine. I sat up for quite a while and watched a good movie. I did all those things trying to go to sleep--no way! And why?!Baseball starts tomorrow!! My Twins are starting out playing up in Toronto and will probably freeze their little tootsies. But so what; its the opening of 6 months straining my eyes, looking into my computer and groaning or cheering depending on who's at bat. Do you know baseball, as we know it, has now been in business for some 150 years. Do you also know that the various distances from base to base are still the same and the pitchers mound is still 60 feet,6 inches from home plate. Do you also know that baseball is the only competetive sport where the defense cannot score a basket,a point,a run, nothing?? Ha!Got ya didn't I? Its part of what makes this a great team sport. I love the Minnesota Twins and have been a baseball devotee from the time I was about 9. I played catch with all my kids in the yard. I refused to buy a lovely home in Minneaplis because it was a street on which I would not be able to play catch with my sons and occasionally a daughter. Incidentally she made the Little League team by tucking her hair under her ball cap and that was before they allowed girls to play America's game. True! Buffalo, my home town, was a farm team for Cleveland and I remember the team there with Bob Feller, Bob lemon, Mike Garcia and a host of others. Who alive today recalls the time in the 1954 World Series where wonderful, Willie Mays ran all the way to the back fence to take a monstrous hit away from Vic Wertz. I think that was the first time I died. I have died more times than the proverbial cat, sometimes more than once in the same game. My team has won our divion 6 out of 9 years and yet we always come up against the Yankees-- the Damn Yankees for the uninformed. Maybe this year? But I get ahead of myself. Lets wait and see how the season plays but I can't. Wait that is. Thankfully I won't have much longer. I will be at my post waiting for that clarion call---PLAY BALL! I'll try to sleep tonight but don't count on it!!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

it's time for soccer to take over in this country! how is it going, grandpa!? love ya! - josh

MARCIE said...

Love this post. I remember playing catch and all the ball games in the street in Buffalo. Hope your team excels this year!

Joel said...

I'll always remember the many times we played catch together. Whenever I see a Field of Dreams and they play catch at the end, I think of you and of course tear up. We have talked for many hours over the years about baseball. You taught me most everything I know about it. I enjoy those discussions very much. The Twins did pretty poorly last year but the new season is just around the corner. We'll talk soon I'm sure.
Joel