There are a few times of year my dad can be found joyfully singing “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” around the house; now is one of those times. Spring training has begun and opening day is around the corner, that means baseball. There are three things in this world that my dad loves unconditionally; Peanut butter, my mom, and baseball. My dad tells me stories of times he would lay in bed as a kid with a handheld radio pressed to his ear listening to Braves games. Through his teenage and young adult life my dad played baseball and now when asked why he ever stopped playing he says “well, I was a good hitter until they started making the ball curve.” As a father, he spent about 15 years coaching my sister’s softball teams taking her to tournaments and showcases all over. So, in honor of baseball and my dad’s singing being back, here’s to baseball.

On October 6th 1845 a group owned by Alexander Cartwright (AKA the father of baseball) named the New York Knickerbockers split their 14 players into two teams of 7 and played 3-innings against each other. That 3-inning 7 on 7 game was the first baseball game ever recorded. Since, over 210,000 games have been played; in and between those games a lot of history has been made.

In the 30’s the Great Depression struck, owners of teams were filled with fear as attendance plummeted and revenues were down. America was fearing the end of it's short-lived pastime. The pro's consisted of sixteen teams when the Great Depression struck and when the dust settled after it was all over those sixteen teams stood fast. Though the 30’s were some of the most fearful times for baseball fans, it was also a revolutionary time for the sport. Stadium lights came into existence, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig as a one-two punch revolutionized the game, and The Hall of Fame inducted its first five members.

After surviving the Great Depression, baseball faced another threat, World War II. Men were being drafted left and right and it became expected for men to serve their country. Ted Williams who is often argued to be the best hitter in the history of the sport was being called to the war effort, however, since his mother was dependent on him he received a deferral. Because of this Williams began to be labeled as “unamerican.” After the 1942 season Williams enlisted in the navy reserves for three years. Just as he had excelled as a hitter Williams polished his skills as a soldier; however, he was not deployed into combat. Like Williams many others served including some of the greats like Yogi Berra, Stan Musial, and Joe DiMaggio. The great returned to the Red Sox in 1946 and did not serve his second time until the Korean War in 1952.

Just after World War II, in the midst of Jim Crow laws and a society not yet accepting of blacks into society, the Los Angeles Dodgers decided they were going to sign a man from the negro leagues. His name, Jackie Roosevelt Robinson; a four-sport athlete out of UCLA lettering in baseball, football, basketball, and track. On April 15th that year Jackie Robinson played in his first game breaking the color barrier in the major leagues paving the way for other African-American baseball players to participate on the big stage. Through the early part of his career Robinson was on the receiving end of hatred in the form of mail, racial slurs from the crowd, and baseballs aimed for his head. Despite the backlash from fans Jackie went on to bat .311 in his career and in 1962 was inducted as the first African-American to the Baseball Hall of Fame, two years later Jim Crow laws were abolished. Every year on April 15th all players wear the number 42 in honor of Mr. Robinson.

This past World Series was the end of the Curse of Billy the Goat. Reading that one might laugh calling it a ridiculous superstition; although, if you ask any Cubs fan they will assure you it was as real as could be. Now, one might ask; how did the curse come about?

It was the fourth game of the 1945 World Series and the owner of a local tavern named William “Billy Goat” Sianis along with his friend Murphy, who was a goat, arrived at the gates of Wrigley Field. Murphy was an exceptionally smelly goat so despite having his own ticket he was not permitted entrance into the game. Sianis, angered by the fact his goat-friend was being denied entrance, exclaimed to the entire Chicago Cubs organization, “You are going to lose this World Series and you are never going to win another World Series again.”

The Cubbies lost that game and until just this past year they had not won a World Series in 106 years, so you tell me; was it a real curse or just superstition?

Many things have been making baseball great for a long time, but here is to the game that still has a place for the athlete that isn’t six-foot-seven and weighs 225 pounds’ lean. Granted, it is easier for those guys, but if it’s possible for big sexy here it’s possible for anyone.

Here is to it actually not being over until it’s over, there is no time limit only outs, so all the way down to two outs in the bottom of the ninth with a full count, there is a chance. Here is to the game where it is legitimately believed that if you fold your hat inside out or wrap water bottles on one's head with tape they are more likely to rally, ergo the greatest invention in the history of baseball, the rally cap.

Here is to the game that makes hotdogs and hamburgers so great, here’s to ballpark nachos, to going to Texas and getting a fried S’moreo with the Rangers, to getting a Churro dog in Arizona, and to going to Houston and getting a chicken and waffle cone.

Here is to the Cleveland Indians for thinking it would be a good idea to have a ten cent beer night at one of their games and having to shut the game down early due to the level of rowdiness.

Here’s to a sport that has players who are still teenagers when they get to the league. Sometimes when I’m sitting in the library writing a paper on the religious significance of Harry Potter I ask myself; “why couldn’t you hit a 500 foot home-run when you were 19?” then I remember... I'm not Bryce Harper.

Here is to the postseason; the most exciting time of year, not only does a team need to win a series, but every game is going to be the other team putting the best lineup and best pitcher they can on the field. The postseason and the pressure that comes with it can crumple some players but for some like Derek Jeter it elevates their game to a whole new level. Jeter’s game elevated so high in the late parts of the seasons and through the playoffs he earned the nickname “Mr. October,”

Here is to the sport that does cover up player’s imperfections. When a player is pitching, hitting, or playing defense, they know, don’t mess up all eyes are on you. So, can someone be perfect in baseball? There have been 23 times in the history of baseball that a perfect game has been thrown. For those who don’t know what a perfect game is when a pitcher goes nine innings, getting twenty-seven outs, without allowing a hit, walking a batter, hitting a batter, and no errors from the defense; that’s a perfect game.

And what about the climactic points of the game; walk-off hits, game saving catches, or game costing errors. They are all great, seeing a hitter clobber a ball out of the park to win a game in the bottom of the ninth… chills down my spine just writing about it.

And last but not least here is to the views, the skylines, and the bay. Here is to the game where we can kick back, munch on some peanuts, and watch the game.

Everything from the history of such an amazing game to the singing around my house driving my mom crazy has made baseball what it is today. So thank you to all the players, coaches, and teams for going out every year and playing 162 games. Thank you to the rally caps, the churro dogs, and the big sexy’s of the world for making America’s past-time great.