What is deeply unfortunate - for her - is that I have to work today and thus, we cannot have our Opening Day party until tonight. Yes, we have an Opening Day party. It's pretty low-key: one baseball game on the TV and a deliciously nutritious meal of tinfoil-wrapped hot dogs, unshelled peanuts, and potato chips.
If you're interested in baseball at all, you may be interested in the articles below. One is an analysis in The New York Times of how major league baseball is changing into a game of pitching. The second is a broad, sweeping overview of why baseball is a great game (and it's written by a pastor, no less).
And let me be the first to wish you a happy Opening Day.
No Runs, No Hits, New Era
"The old catcher smiled wryly. The topic was offense, and what could be done to revive it. When John Buck entered professional baseball, in 1998, fans were swooning for sluggers. All these years later, the landscape has tilted. Runs and homers are falling. Strikeouts and infield shifts are soaring. Pitchers rule."
Our National Pastime
"This week marks the beginning of baseball, for 150 years, our national pastime. Football may be the king of revenue and ratings, March Madness may be the most enjoyable three weeks of sports, the NHL may be the obsession north of the border, and the NBA may have bigger star power, but there is still no sport in this country better than baseball."