Well, I have pretty well wasted the weekend.
My beloved Reds are getting well and playing well…and they’re damn fun to watch.
Watch I did, every inning against the woeful Pirates for four games – all won by the Reds. The weekend closes with Cincinnati trailing the despicable Milwaukee Brewers by a mere five games. Can the World Series be far behind?
But it’s not just the winning.
The team boasts three young players who are legitimate contenders for Rookie-of-the-Year, two current all-stars and one former, a shortstop/catcher (whatta combination) having a career year, and a for real starting pitcher rotation. And they’re ten games over .500.
But it’s not just the winning.
There is joy in Mudville.
They smile, they dance (poorly, but…), they ride motor bikes, and they play hard.
Today they honored the memory of Joe Morgan, perhaps the greatest second-baseman of all-time. His daughters were in attendance. His plaque from the Hall-of-Fame was there. People had their picture taken with the plaque. Bob Costa was there. Stories were told. Tears were shed. For a few minutes national stupidity and incivility evaporated.
There was joy in Mudville.
Baseball does that.
“It reminds us of all that once was good and it could be again.”
A wide-eyed James Earle Jones says that in the film; FIELD OF DREAMS.
I watched the MLB Network’s 25th anniversary special on the making of FIELD OF DREAMS this evening (wasting the weekend, remember?). It featured Bob Costa interviewing Kevin Costner and Timothy Busfield on the corn-ensconced baseball field in Iowa.
“It reminds us of all that once was good and it could be again.”
I’m gonna get me one of those MAGA baseball hats, but it’s gonna stand for Make America GOOD Again.
Good to know.
Good to stand next to.
Good to live next to.
Good to each other.
Jes’ good.
We know how.
For this geezer, baseball immersion helps a bit;
- It’s a team game, but individuals are held responsible for individual actions.
- You may win today or you may lose today, but you still have to play tomorrow.
- Failure means you have to let someone else swing, pitch, run, or catch…but you still have to play tomorrow.
- It’s a game. Find the bliss in each play. Remember, you GET to play tomorrow.
PS. If I may recommend a couple of books that will NOT change your life, but might help you happily waste a weekend or two.
W. P. Kinsella wrote SHOELESS JOE, the book on which FIELD OF DREAMS is based. He also wrote THE IOWA BASEBALL CONFEDERACY, which I like even more.
Troy Soos has written a series of baseball mysteries set in the years after World War I. I’m enjoying them.
Now, who might these Rampaging Reds be playing tomorrow?
June's Boy 