I couldn’t help but think about Charlie Brown and baseball, while pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training.
“Pitchers and catchers report tomorrow” is a statement that is music to my ears. Can’t wait.
I took this photo of Rob Brantly last summer. It’s a personal favorite. I was going to have him sign it, but by the time I got around to getting a print, he was promoted to Lakeland. Oh well. It was a one shot take. So many people let the shutter button fly and “cheat”. I was quite proud of my timing.
One of the great things about baseball is all of the hijinks that can happen during the game. Last June I managed to get a seat next to the dugout. There was little to no obstruction, which was great. What I saw was the relief pitchers having some fun. It was early in the game so the relief guys didn’t head out to the bullpen yet. They decided to play some tricks on the fans. They took a ball, made string using athletic tape, attached it to the ball, and threw it over the top of the dugout. The ol’ ball on a string trick worked for a while, tricking some of the people. The fans thought they were getting a souvenir, until they saw the string. The prank was going well but then one of the players accidentally let go of the string and the ball finally made it into the crowd.
As the game progressed, the home team was winning in a blowout so the guys did some more things A pitcher or two took a couple of water balloons from the on field promo girls and chucked them at them as well. I busted up laughing. If I can recall properly, I believe there was even a reilver taking a nap as well. Those were definitely some good times.
Two for two today. The Michigan State Spartans had a blowout win over Indiana which helped propel them to the B1G Championship game on December 3. The Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League won the championship today. The Detroit Tigers representatives on the Rafters were all former West Michigan Whitecaps. Great stuff!
Vote? My pic is H. ;-)
Ya’ll reblogged/liked it 158 times…help a girl out?
All ya gotta do is click.
Help a friend of mine out and vote H. Her shot of Tigers prospect Dixon Machado is great, and when I first saw it, I was quite jealous.
Thank you 2011 Detroit Tigers for an awesome season.
Today was a day that I wasn’t looking forward to happening, but knew it must come. I always try to remember what I did before baseball season started, but never can. The thing about baseball is that it’s nearly every single day for six months. You get so used to it being on or available that it becomes routine. Win or lose there’s always another game or a new series to start, but in October that isn’t the case.
I must say that I’m very proud of this ballclub. They gave everything they had and fought valiantly. Part of me would’ve liked six more wins and a World Series title. That would finally put 1984 to rest. However given the way that injury plagued this team, it was a miracle that they made it as far as they did.
I have so many memories of this team. I don’t know if I can list them all, but I’ll try some.
Verlander’s No-Hitter in May
Valverde breaking the Tigers single season save record
Inge with a walk-off homer and 360 as he touched home plate
Guillen posing after his homer and making Jered Weaver angry
Cabrera’s batting title
The double play to end the game keeping Valverde’s save streak going
Don Kelly’s hot foot
Sparks from Avila’s catchers mask
Beating the Yankees in a stressful ALDS in Yankee Stadium
Victor and Little Victor clubhouse celebration
Twelve wins in a row in September
Hitting for a cycle as team in consecutive ABs in the ALCS
I could go on but won’t.
As a season ticket holder for Tigers Midwest League Class A affiliate, I felt a connection that some may not have. I got to see many of them when they were just starting out. Seeing the success of Alex Avila, Brennan Boesch, Duane Below, Will Rhymes, Casper Wells, Scott Sizemore, Jacob Turner, Brayan Villarreal, Adam Wilk, and Andy Dirks made me very happy and proud.
I can’t help but think of some franchises World Series or failure belief. As a fan of a team that has struggled for relevance in the last twenty years, every playoff appearance, and division title is cause for celebration. It should be enjoyed and cherished. I hope I never become numb to those accomplishments, nor my fellow Tigers fans. The things in this season will become the stuff of legend years from now, World Series or not.
So I guess I’ll spend the offseason moping, and pining for baseball. The cool weather is already reminding that I have quite some time to endure before it starts again. I can’t wait for the words “Pitchers and Catchers Report”, and “Lakeland” to be said.
Is it weird to miss Tigers baseball already? Because I do. I really do.
The beauty is in the 162 games
By Steve Berthiaume“It’s every day. That’s where you find the real beauty of the thing. Win or lose, payoff or no payoff; the reward is found in that continuity. That’s the gift of the 162 games. What happened today? Did they win or lose? Did the other guys win or lose? The lead was 3 or 4 just a few days ago … what is it now, 1 game? Who do we play tomorrow? Where are they tomorrow? Who’s pitching? Skip a day and you might miss something, like a three-run home run in the 14th inning or a bases-loaded wild pitch to win the game.
It can be background music or it can be front and center for you every night. Check in for just a few minutes or settle in for a few hours; each time it’s an opportunity for redemption or catastrophe. It is storylines that emerge from back story in July to become headlines in September or character development that you’ve been noticing all summer and plot twists that no one saw coming. Sure, it matters if you win or lose, but it’s the idea that baseball can be a daily experience that’s really the payoff. In our 140-character culture, that still means something.
“Football is king.” Baseball enthusiasts hear that incessantly these days. Those people are missing the point. Football is fast food, once a week, five days spent mindlessly considering which groin pull or knee strain is going to potentially cost you fantasy points this weekend. Football doesn’t ask much: Just a few hours of your attention each week, time that can be spent celebrating the other activity that is king in America — sitting around eating vast quantities of horrible food while watching television. Football is the lowest common denominator.
Baseball asks a lot of you. It requires daily attention, but that turns out to be the reward, and we’re seeing that right now in this remarkable finish to the regular season. The Red Sox and the Braves have each seen postseason spots that appeared guaranteed just a few weeks ago now threatened to within one game of extinction. Rays and Cardinals fans who last month might have only checked in for a few minutes now settle in for a few hours. It’s been right there for them the whole time.
Monday is a new day and then there are two more games left. After that, who knows? Somehow, once again, it’s been a thrilling ride and every one of the 162 games somehow mattered. That’s the real beauty of the thing, and there’s nothing else like it.”
Follow Steve Berthiaume on Twitter @SBerthiaumeESPN.
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I fully agree with this. Well said.
