Play ball!

Baseball is back, and warmer weather is nipping at its heels. Hooray!

Although I was unable to root, root, root for the home team from the stadium or while the game was occurring, a DVR and avoidance of all sports news allowed me to enjoy Opening Day as though I had been able to skip out early from work to watch the Reds begin another season. No putting up with rain delays and commercials for this fan today. The swift deployment of the fast forward function took care of all that.

As it turned out, my team didn't win, but what a pleasure it is to have these games back. Just hearing the organ music from the ballpark seemed to increase the temperature by ten degrees and stir up the urge to drive to Cincinnati to take in a game posthaste. I even experienced separation pangs from fantasy baseball, although those went away once I reminded myself how maddening it is to play.

Plenty of writers have spilled plenty of ink extolling the game's virtues as a metaphor for life, so I won't bother. The reason why it receives such tributes is because baseball is embedded in daily life the way that other sports aren't. From April until the regular season ends in early October, there's a pro game being played every day except for the one before and after the All-Star Game.

Baseball is there like an old friend just about whenever you need it. What else inspires people to go backwards technologically? Anymore almost all of each team's games are on TV, yet the radio and its announcers are what many fans feel an affection for and have a relationship with.

I know, some of you probably think baseball is boring. At times it can be, especially if your team isn't very good. Still, now more than ever, when we're always in a hurry or at least feel constantly rushed, the sport is there to slow us down for a little while, a reminder that it's always good to take a little time to hang out at the park and play.