He leans down, resting his forearm on his knee to get his sign from his catcher. He leans back, wipes the sweat off his brow, and looks down into his glove. The grip's good. He looks up, and then towards the plate, swinging his arm back. As the ball leaves his hand, the season starts.
Welcome back, baseball. During the cold, windy football season and enjoyable but seemingly everlasting basketball season, you have emerged from Spring Training to bring back out favorite matchups, players, and sport. In honor of your resurgence, here's a list of the best things about baseball season.
1. Laid back afternoons at the park
One of the best things about baseball is that it's not on a timer. You get nine innings (and if you're lucky, a little free baseball), so there's no clock to watch. There's no other sports event that provides the environment of interaction and camaraderie that baseball does. You can actually talk to people around you and pay attention to the game.
2. Ballpark food
Nothing compares to the variety and deliciousness of ballpark food, especially that of your local stadium. AT&T wouldn't be the same without its Say Hey Stands, Cable Car Bars, and King Street Carvery, and Petco isn't Petco without its fish tacos from Baja Bistro and burgers from Hodad's.
3. Reviving park traditions
Rev up those vocal chords, baseball fans, because it's time to bring back your stunning rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and your ear straining version of your team's traditional song. Screams of "Sweet Caroline", "Build Me Up Buttercup", and "Deep in the Heart of Texas" will be heard from coast to coast as Mariners fans gather in King's Court shouting for shutouts. Every. Single. Game.
4. 162 Games
Baseball players face one of the most demanding schedules in professional sports, playing 162 games in a full regular season. That means we, as the fans, get to enjoy game after game after game now through (hopefully) October. A lot can happen in 162 games, and baseball is one of the greatest soap operas we've had the pleasure of watching.
5. Our boys
We all know that we love every kid on our roster, and we can't wait to see them back in action. Every team is in the middle of some reconstruction or looking for contention this year, and I'm excited to see how team dynamics change and rankings shift as the season progresses
6. Your team being undefeated on Opening Day
As a Braves fan, I was excited for Opening Day, since it was possibly the only day in their season they'd be undefeated. Luckily, we opened with a win. Opening Day is a fresh slate, the jumping off point from which anything can happen, and the one day everyone can celebrate their team never having lost this season.
