Play Ball!

Baseball season starts tonight, and it promises to be an exciting season as the Mets march to their third World Series title, defeating the Yankees in 6 games.

That’s right; I’m calling it in writing!

I bought one of the cheapo Value Packs this year, 2 nosebleed seats for 5 random games, and a huge group of us are also going to the Autism Awareness Day Game on April 22nd, which should be a lot of fun. It will be the most games I’ve ever been to in one season.

Yesterday morning, I gave out uniforms to my Pee Wee Marlins Tee Ball players, meeting them and their parents in person for the first time, and Isaac ended up getting #2 as #13 was snagged before I realized it was in the mix and I didn’t notice whether or not #9 was available.  I might have to find the inevitable Jeter fan on the team to see if I can make a trade.

Afterwards we hit Modell’s and got Isaac a bat, batting gloves (his choice), cleats and some eye black! (We also went a little crazy and got him a new Mets bookbag and bookcover!) So far, he’s genuinuely excited about playing — though he’s not convinced about the eye black just yet — and I think India is going to have a blast practicing with him and watching him play.  She was helping him practice catching earlier, rolling the ball to him in the bedroom, and they’re taking turns swinging the bat right now, much to Salomé’s chagrin as they occasionally test the sturdiness of their batting helmets.

I particularly like that Isaac’s alternating between practicing and watching the game — the Mets just took a 2-0 lead on a 2-run Delgado double — paying attention to how the players stand and hold the bat.

Next Saturday is the annual parade where all the teams march from the Community Center to the ballfield over by Lehman, an event we’ve watched from our living room window the past couple of years and will be fun (and a bit surreal) to be participating in ourselves.

Of course, the start of the season also means fantasy baseball finally gets underway. For the first time ever, my Slam This! league held a live draft so I’m actually very happy with my team, the Comic Geeks, going into the season and, barring injuries, am expecting to make a strong run for my first championship.

My opening day roster:

Brian McCann (Atl – C)
Adrian Gonzalez (SD – 1B)
Adam LaRoche (Pit – 1B)
Orlando Hudson (Ari – 2B)
Hanley Ramirez (Fla – SS)
Khalil Greene (SD – SS)
David Wright (NYM – 3B)
Rocco Baldelli (TB – OF)
Willy Taveras (Col – OF)
Jeff Francoeur (Atl – OF)
Brad Hawpe (Col – OF)
Chris Duffy (Pit – OF)
Ty Wigginton (TB – 1B,2B,3B,OF)

Jake Peavy (SD – SP)
C.C. Sabathia (Cle – SP)
Jeremy Bonderman (Det – SP)
Erik Bedard (Bal – SP)
Oliver Perez (NYM – SP)
Anibal Sanchez (Fla – SP)
Takashi Saito (LAD – RP)
Fernando Rodney (Det – RP)
Pat Neshek (Min – RP)
Salomon Torres (Pit – RP)
Scott Cassidy (SD – RP) — DL

Go Mets! Go Pee Wee Marlins! Go Comic Geeks!

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Written by Guy LeCharles Gonzalez

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez is the Chief Content Officer for LibraryPass, and former publisher & marketing director for Writer’s Digest. Previously, he was also project lead for the Panorama Project; director, content strategy & audience development for Library Journal & School Library Journal; and founding director of programming & business development for the original Digital Book World.