As the saying goes, hope springs eternal in the hearts of baseball fans everywhere on opening day. For today, we sit in first place, having lost no games. And a crocus has popped up in the garden.
What will tomorrow bring? Know ones knows. Spring is about hopes and dreams, and for the moment we will leave it at that.
But here’s a link to past posts in this blog on baseball.
The Whiz Kids had won it,
Bobby Thomson had done it,
And Yogi read the comics all the while.
Rock ‘n roll was being born,
Marijuana, we would scorn,
So down on the corner,
The national past-time went on trial.We’re talkin’ baseball!
Kluszewski, Campanella.
Talkin’ baseball!
The Man and Bobby Feller.
The Scooter, the Barber, and the Newc,
They knew ’em all from Boston to Dubuque.
Especially Willie, Mickey, and the Duke.
Amen.
Let’s go Mets!
I, too, am a dedicated baseball fan.
I grew up with the Pirates, moved to the Red Socks during my Air Force years in Maine, and then, for seven years, followed the Phillies while I lived there.
I still think that the Phillies broadcast team during those years (which included a Series win) was the best ever: Harry Callas and Ritchie Ashburn. A perfect good guy/bad guy pair. Funny and wise at the same time.
Although I am now in New England, I am in the New York TV domain, so I rarely get the Red Sox. We watch the Yankees mainly so that we can root for the other team (but, alas, you can’t help finding that you like at least a few of the Yankee players). And I think Michael Kay and (especially) Ken Singleton make good announcers.
The radio team of John Sterling And Suzyn (sic) Waldman is only tolerable because of Waldman. Sterling has never met an annoying catch phrase that he can’t abuse a million times a game. Waldman may well be the most knowledgeable female commentator in the game — far more so than those awful “sideline” squeakers who insist on promoting their human disinterest crap (HIT MUTE BUTTON!).
My wife and I have discussed becoming Mets fans, if only because 1) we dislike the Yankees; and 2) THE PITCHER SHOULD BAT, DAMMIT!.
Could happen this year.
I still think that the Phillies broadcast team during those years (which included a Series win) was the best ever: Harry Callas and Ritchie Ashburn. A perfect good guy/bad guy pair. Funny and wise at the same time.
As it happens, today the Mets honored the legendary Ralph Kiner, who died during the off-season. He was not only one of the great home run hitters of all time, but spent 51 years in the announcer’s booth.
Everyone loved Kiner.
Yes, Ralph Kiner was the Pittsburgh baseball god during my youth. Kiner is (arguably) surpassed in Pittsburgh baseball lore only by Honus Wagner, Willie Stargell, and (for only one very famous homer) Bill Mazeroski.
That homer defeated the Yankees in the 1960 series, seventh game. All our high school classes were suspended that afternoon so we could watch that game.
Why we old geezers love the game.
That homer defeated the Yankees in the 1960 series, seventh game. All our high school classes were suspended that afternoon so we could watch that game.
A World Series day game. When everything else came to a hault. Can you imagine such a thing today?