Thursday, April 05, 2012

OPENING Opening Day -- For Real This Time

Before we get the season started proper, it's always appropriate to begin with a reading from the scripture, e.g., Field of Dreams.
Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.  --Terence Mann
This isn't heaven, folks. It isn't even Iowa. It's Blue Heaven on Earth. Play Ball!

18 comments:

Fred's Brim said...

WOOHOO!!

Thanks, Dusty!

Fred's Brim said...

And I love the term "shirtsleeves." My dad says this from time to time. I never knew what it actually meant but I knew what he meant

Paul said...

"You trying to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curve ball?!?" - Ed Harris

Neeebs (The Original) said...

Opening Day:

The smell of freshly cut grass.

But, some things to ponder:

2012 Salaries-
Ted Lilly gets 12.0 million
Juan Uribe gets 8.0 million
James Loney gets 6.375 million
Matt Guerrier gets 4.75 million.

Someone needs to get fired.

Paul said...

That last statement is how Neeebs ends every work day and sometimes even on the weekend. .

Hideo Nomo said...

Opening Day for real!

Except for the White Sox, Rangers, Twins, Orioles, Yankees, Rays, Brewers, Rockies, Astros, Giants (Fuck them anyway), D-Backs, Royals, and Angels.

Hideo Nomo said...

Someone make sure Sax can't get a hold of something sharp, because...

It looks like Gameday badges are no more.

Dusty Baker said...

No more stinking badges? Noooooooooo! We neeeed those. I don't know why, but we need them.

MR.F said...

Yay baseball!

Paul said...

No badges?

That's a shame.

Mr. LA Sports Czar said...

I echo Paul's sentiments.

Jason said...

I'm not so sure about the badges. I have two Sprint "promo" badges in my case today for "Bronx" and "Gateway Arch."

Wicks said...

You can earn badges for the MLB beat the streak game...

Hideo Nomo said...

@Jason:

Oh, OK. I had misplaced my bookmark to my case, but the link is still good. The Daily Player Badges page says no badges for today's games.

But, the Badges icon is gone from the Gameday menu.

Jason said...

Rob Barajas fails to throw out (Fuck you) Victorino stealing second in Pittsburgh.

What else is new?

Hideo Nomo said...

Battletoad sighting.

Hideo Nomo said...

And he immediately gives up a triple to Austin Jackson.

Hideo Nomo said...

IBB Cabrera to get to Fielder? OK, then.