Yes, baseball is back. Today is opening day for the World Champion San Francisco Giants. Tim Lincecum starts against Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers this afternoon in Los Angeles, and I am excited. But baseball already has lifted my spirits for a few weeks now, not just today. While I have watched events in Libya and the sad, horrific situation in Japan, I have had the solace of Jon Miller's soothing voice on the radio as the Giants finished up the spring training season in Arizona, and played the A's back in San Francisco and Oakland.
There is something reassuring and comforting about having major league baseball once again on the radio as part of one’s everyday life. Even as background noise that fades in and out of one’s attention, the sound of the game on the radio or even broadcast on television is a constant that makes life better, as it evokes memories of the past and stirs up hopes for the future, especially at the beginning of the season.
Of course, baseball also is back with the ongoing trial of Barry Bonds for perjury and obstruction of justice, but I prefer to think about Brandon Belt, the Giants’ rookie first baseman, who has not been sent back down to the minors and will start this afternoon. Instead of Bonds and his shrinking body parts, I also will think about Barry Zito’s unfortunate moustache and automobile accident, switch hitter Andres Torres starting in centerfield, Pablo Sandoval’s “weight loss,” the aging Miguel Tejada at shortstop, and the crossword puzzle prowess of Brian Wilson, who is the "answer" for the Giants as 30-Down in today’s New York Times puzzle. Like Wilson, I am a devotee of the Times daily puzzle, and I am delighted by his appearance in the puzzle on opening day, although the gimmicks in the Thursday crosswords often annoy me.
Yes, Baseball is back, and I must add that several weeks ago, while out for a long bike ride in West Marin, I happened upon the opening day game of the Little League season in the town of Nicasio. I had pulled off the road for a break in my ride, next to the beautifully manicured ballpark in the center of town, across the street from the local church and the Rancho Nicasio, a popular roadhouse, bar and restaurant, that turned out to be the sponsor of one of the teams on the field. (“Rancho Nicasio” was inscribed on the back of one team's uniforms.) The backstop and the stands had been decorated with red, white, and blue bunting for the occasion, and there was a small but enthusiastic crowd of family and friends cheering the young kids on. My intention had been to just glance at the game for a minute or two, but I stood there for several innings, watching these kids, who were not yet even teenagers, take their swings at the plate, throw strikes, make some good fielding plays, and run around the bases in their crisp, new, brightly colored uniforms. I was enjoying the slow pace of the game, the warm sunshine, and the beautiful symmetry of the diamond. It was as if time was standing still.
