My love of baseball goes way back. While I was not raised in a household of sports fanatics, I remember watching a particular World Series at a very young age. And collecting baseball cards. Any chance to swing a bat and run the bases was a good time. I once built my own pitcher’s mound so I could throw the one baseball I owned against a small ridge on the far side of our cul-de-sac. I was convinced that some random MLB agent would see my blazing fast 77mph fastball and see the next Sandy Koufax or Fernando Valenzuela. Mostly, though, I threw that ball for love of the game.
Dodger Fan For Life
My only memory of not being a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers was just before the moment my older brother said I could not be a Yankees fan. Young, impressionable, and a little rebellious, my choice was clear. And one of the best choices I ever made. So many great, historic players and moments and who can forget the dulcet tones of Vin Scully calling the games? They are a class organization with an amazing history both on and off the field.
Love Of The Game
I don’t limit my love of the game to just the Dodgers (or the Yankees, who I still cheer for). From the many, many amazing personalities to the “meta” of statistics, I enjoy it all. I am not the guy who will rattle off every World Series result. I don’t have a head for that sort of lists. But I will do quick math on batting averages and ERAs, hoping that Clayton Kershaw can get two more scoreless innings to drop his ERA by another tenth. For me, it is more about the sights and sounds of the game. From the sound of the ball popping in the catcher’s mitt to memories of what it feels like to hit the ball square and barely feel the impact as I watch the ball soar over the fence.
Thoughts On Recent Changes
I’m a traditionalist when it comes to baseball. I miss pitchers swinging the bat. It has taken a long time for me to be okay with interleague play during the regular season. The changes this year, largely to speed up the game, are a different animal. I believe there are kinks to work out, but I don’t mind them so much. Add a couple of seconds to the pitch clock. Don’t force the use of a timeout when a player clearly needs to tie their laces. And, seriously, I’m okay with extra innings not starting with a runner on second. I get what your doing, but I’d rather players still earn the bases.
Trade Deadline Looming
The only thing I’ll say is that the Dodgers have had a rough year of injuries. It isn’t their first year to see their entire starting rotation spend time on the injury list. If there is any organization that knows how to navigate that sort of ordeal, it is certainly the Dodgers. Trading is part of the game. I can some up my feelings of the mid-season shuffle in three words: “Welcome back, Kiké!”
There it is, a quick rundown, way too quick, of my love for the game. But how can I be a Dodger fan if I start the post off with an image from Fenway Park? Two reasons. First, I’ve been hanging on to that image since shortly before the Red Sox last won the World Series. It needed to be shared. Second, because none of you lot have found it in your hearts to take me Dodger Stadium!
