Cal Ripken sitting in the stands behind home plate, eating peanuts on Orioles opening day: that’s a site that I took in that said “baseball” to me. The start of another Major League Baseball season is like New Years Day for those of us who love the game. I’m not going to get all poetic or dramatic about it, but baseball is and always has been an integral part of my life. I count on baseball to mark the start of spring, provide the backdrop for summer, and lead the way to autumn. There’s no hurry to see it start, and certainly no hurry to get through its six months of play. But once it arrives, baseball settles in to be part of the daily discussion, or at the very least it’s background noise, sports muzak.

Orioles opening day comes with some angst attached for some fans and observers. 10 straight losing seasons and the likelihood for an 11th temper the enthusiasm for a new start. I get that and I hear and understand the concerns and complaints. Far be it from me to suggest the downtrodden O’s fan should just enjoy the fact they have a team. No, I can’t say that. Because you have a team, you want a competitive team. The O’s are on a path set by Andy MacPhail to be competitive in a few years. Delayed gratification is a tough sell after 10 years of losing, but at least MacPhail can sell a tangible plan. I sense O’s fans are buying in, but the process of buying in could wear thin as a losing season wears on. This will be an unusual season in Baltimore for that reason and I’ll be keeping an eye on how the fan base handles it.

Besides that: Happy New Year! Well, I’m happy anyway. Here’s hoping you can find the most simple joy somewhere in the change of seasons.

Posted on Tuesday, April 1st, 2008 at 4:14 pm.
Categories: Opinion.
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