Long-form

Long-form blog posts and editorials. Topics cover both personal and the world at large. 

The milieu of baseball season

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Now I realize I am probably using the word “milieu” incorrectly (once you read I am about to write) but the whole title just made sense when I sounded it in my head. Besides, who doesn’t want to sound more classy by integrating other lingual derivations of the Latin root into the English language? 

Baseball season is just the best time of the year for me, and people like me. People like me that have recently graduated from university (and thus forsaken the burden of that evil thing called homework), found our first steady job, and other than that haven’t got much going on in terms of anything consistently time consuming. Oh, having an extreme affinity for the game of baseball is a must. 

Why is it so special?

Because everyday there is a new game. Unlike other major sports, there is literally a game every day for six whole months out of the year. That means there is something to look forward to everyday (games are usually during the night time). Of course there are those out there that bemoans the fact a baseball season is 162 games long but I say that is just perfect. For almost half the days out of the year I get to have that anticipation of game time; when I can relax and enjoy the game. All that makes the other parts of the day that are trying (you know, work?) that much more endurable.

Of course it helps that the team that you root for is in contention and is winning games on a fairly consistent basis. But even if that was not so, I’d would still (try to) watch every  single game that comes on each day. For I am no bandwagon (or fair weather) fan - I am a genuine fan of the game of baseball. Even in defeat there is much to digest about the pitching, hitting, and the nuance of the game. Besides, because there are so many games the crush of defeat only last for a few minutes until you get renewed hope for victory in the game that will be played the next day.

Some will say haven’t you got better things to do than waste three hours each day watching a “game’? Well, it is all down to the circumstances. For me there is no more perfect time in my life to take in the baseball I can get. As mentioned before I have zero obligations outside of going to work everyday (and those are 12 hour work days my friend) and keeping myself alive and clothed. If not now then when? When I have a family with kids to take care of? (Sorry darling, your father can’t bathe you right now because the Giants are on television.) 

There is nothing quite like waking up during the baseball season, when I know I have a game to look forward to watching later on that day. It makes everything else, that much better.