Yessir, it's that time of year again!
Now matter where you live (well, within the US at least...), you know what April really means, baseball is back! America's past time is one long marathon of sport, 162 games for every team, running from April through (if they're good enough to make the cut) late October, and I figure it needs a place to be discussed here on Gotwoot!
First off, who you with?
I've been a Yankee since I was a little kid, back when Roberto Kelly played the outfield and Randy Velarde was a 'big aquisition', back when the "Evil Empire" was under 500 every fucking year. I remember Bernie being a young kid in center field, I remember being excited about getting Cecil Fielder and Jack MacDowall, I remember Spike Owen hit a Grand Slam for them to win the only game I actually attended before the age of 17 (1 out of 9 is pretty shitty eh?) I knew who Matt Nokes, Pat Kelly (have his autograph, worth $0), and Kevin Maas are. Now they say "You have it easy, being a Yankees fan" I tell them to go to fucking hell. It broke my heart that Donny Baseball finally, finally got to the playoffs, and eliminated in a game 5 in Seattle (i love and hate Tino Martinez). And then the next year they won the championship...
Second off, what you watching this year?
Besides the obvious: who will win it all? there are lots of big things going on in baseball right now. Let me break it down:
Jimmy Rollins is trying to break Joltin Joe DiMaggio's record for consecutive games with a hit. He's somewhere at 36 so far, 20 more to go.., consecutive games.
Barry Bonds is gunning for 2nd place on the All-time HomeRun list. But he is currently being investigated to see if he used sterioids or not. I say the bastard should be banned for life and all his titles stripped. That's what you get for cheating
The White Sox are defending a Championship title (and they won the first game of the year), their first title since before they 'threw' the championship back in my grandpa's era (Say it ain't say Jo?)
Several teams are on the rebound, including Toronto, the Cubs, the Dodgers and the (you heard it here first) Detroit Tigers. Some of the most exciting players play in places like Florid (or is it soon to be San Antonio?), Milwakee (BOO!!! BOO!!!), Kansas City and Seattle...
You smell the freshly cut glass? You hear the crack of that wooden bat? You see that slider paint the outside corner, the ump pulling the 'YEEEEER OUT!' sign? (come on! that was obviously a ball! You blind ump?!) You see the lights lighting up cities around the nation? You taste those hotdogs? You hear that crowd?
Play ball bitches.
LET'S GO NEW YORK!!! (um, not the Mets though)
edit- forgot to mention. Since at 1005EST the Yankee game starts, I am going to bed early (like right now) and waking up at 4 o'clock here in Italy so I can watch the game live on Mlb.tv Yes, it is that big of a deal!