No, as Thursday’s first pitch approaches, it seems like a heaping jug of water after crawling by the desert, like daylight after months of hibernation, such as you — to paraphrase Rogers Hornsby — spent a whole winter staring out the window and somebody lastly confirmed as much as open it and allow you to out.
I discover myself eager to have 14 totally different screens in entrance of me at this time, every that includes a unique sport, all unfold out in entrance of me. I don’t wish to miss a factor. I wish to take in each second of it.
However this isn’t, usually, how we eat baseball. Each pitch is essential, each sport issues at this time, however they do, ultimately, all matter equally. Opening Day feels greater than it truly is. You get used to baseball occurring each day because the season goes alongside — and that’s what’s so nice about it. Baseball is routine. It’s fixed. And that brings consolation.
Opening Day is great as a result of we’ve been with out baseball for thus lengthy. It’s a reminder of what you missed. However in every week, you’ll neglect that you just ever missed it. That’s how baseball season works. As soon as we’re in the midst of it, we take it with no consideration. (We all the time find yourself taking the most effective, most essential issues with no consideration. We don’t admire how misplaced we’d be with out them till they’re gone.)
That’s all to be soaked up, to be reveled in and savored. I do know I’ll be doing that each one day. It’s what we’ve waited for.
But it surely’s nonetheless irregular. The true pleasure of baseball is what occurs each day for the following six months. There are 14 video games on Thursday, 9 extra on Friday, 15 on Saturday, 13 on Sunday, 14 on Monday and on and on and on. It would proceed like that each one the way in which deep into September.
Are you aware what you’ll be doing in September? Are you aware what life’s going to be like? Are you aware something about September 2025 on this chaotic world in any respect? Right here’s one factor you do know: There can be baseball, as a result of the purpose of baseball season is that it’s all the time occurring. That’s what I’ll attempt to keep in mind this Opening Day, and what I encourage you to attempt to keep in mind.
We don’t know the place this season will go. We simply know that it’s going to go. It’s a blessing, a present. I’m going to understand it each minute at this time. I most likely gained’t do nearly as good of a job of appreciating it subsequent month, a lot much less in August. But it surely’ll be simply as essential. It’ll imply simply as a lot. And I’ll miss it simply as a lot when it’s gone.
Baseball is again. How did we ever make it by the lengthy, chilly winter with out it?
