Stop, Breathe, Major League Baseball Is Back
Today, we welcome back Major League Baseball and the many joys that accompany its return.
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Pregame Pepper - Tweets From The Diamond
Leading Off
Baseball Is Back
By Ray Kuhn
Everyone, just exhale. The three-plus month national emergency (alright, I took slight liberty with hyperbole there) is over, and baseball is back.
I do want to make sure to note that I am not implying it would be a real emergency if we were left without major league baseball this spring, but it would certainly hurt. In a lot of cases, and especially with the major issues we are currently forced to confront and deal with on a daily basis, we have limited (if any) control over them as individuals and we are forced to “make the best” of our situations.
If that sounds empty, it is deliberate, because a few empty words cannot help to rationalize or explain the national and international crises that we are currently dealing with.
However, you did not come here to read about that. Baseball brings with it an opportunity to escape. We know the outside world can be a rough place, but our great game allows us to leave that behind, or at least press pause or tune it out, for at least a small amount of time.
We can wax poetic about baseball all we want, but its greatest beauty is its presence. No matter what, baseball is there for us. From mid-February through late October, baseball shows up. Whether it is a workout day for Spring Training, an exhibition game, the regular season, or the playoffs, baseball is there. Regardless of what is going on in your life, the welcome distraction of baseball is present. If there is not a game, then there are certainly debates and discussions to be had as you either look ahead or relive the past. The Hot Stove League also cannot be discounted.
This winter though, baseball was gone and it stunk. If you felt like there was a missing piece in your life, you likely were not alone. Now it is back though, and it is better than ever.
Sure, there were things you did do to help fill the void, and maybe you will carry some of those throughout your life even with baseball back, but there are few things that can replace how baseball makes you feel. It is bigger than what takes place between those white lines. Beyond just the game, it is the memories and bonds (with family, friends, and strangers alike) that we are lucky enough to receive. What comes along with the game itself is often greater and more meaningful.
Whether it is attending games in person, watching or listening from outside the stadium, having conversations about the game, or playing fantasy baseball, bonds are created thanks to our great game. Regardless of how the relationship begins, whether from birth, happenstance, joining a random fantasy league, or some other way, baseball is only part of it. Regardless of how or why the relationship was formed, baseball is a big piece. If baseball was the stimulus of the relationship, it often grows beyond that into something deeper even if the game is at the center of it.
Between playing baseball (or slow pitch adult softball) and taking part in various fantasy leagues, I have met and created relationships with more people than I can count. A lot of these people I have only met virtually and our interaction is often limited to the baseball calendar, but that does not matter. Quite simply, baseball brings us together. It is part of the natural rhythms of our lives and we are lucky to have it.
Now, with the lockout over, we can get back to that. Sure, some people did lose interest and are keeping their distance, and it is perfectly fine, but most are back. I mean, how can you not be?
Like everything else, baseball is what you make of it. If you are truly feeling jilted, burnt, frustrated, or any other emotion regarding how the labor talks went and you want to take a step back, you are well within your rights. I also would understand it if you were a fan of the A’s or Reds after witnessing them quickly waving the white flag of being competitive.
At the same time, I don’t want to speak for anyone else, but that likely would put you in the minority. The pull of the game, and everything that comes with it, is simply too great.
And that is why we are simply lucky to be here basking in all that this great game has to offer.
Ray Kuhn can be found writing on Fantasy Alarm and podcasting at Friends With Fantasy Benefits after previously covering the Houston Astros as part of the FanSided network at Climbing Tal’s Hill. Reach him at @ray_kuhn_28 or raykuhn57@gmail.com as he is always interested in talking or writing about our great game.