Batter Up! Talkin' Baseball

Fenway Park

Spring training is underway! At this time of year as we get ready for another 162 game grind that will culminate with the World Series in October, optimism is as everywhere as the Florida and Arizona sunshine. Hope springs eternal and all that.

Talkin' baseball... <----This song should be the official song of Major League Baseball. Sorry about that "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" lovers, 'Talkin' Baseball" is a much better anthem for America's Pasttime. I am by no means an expert on baseball, but I do have a sense of the history of the Game, it's players of the past and many of the watershed moments in the sport. I like "Talkin' Baseball" precisely for those reasons. The song runs by you some of the greatest names to ever put on a Major League Team's uniform...names that were once sacred to boys (and girls) all over the United States. Those names to the little boys of yesteryear, who are by the way, today's Middle Agers, meant something special, much as the names of Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton do to today's youngsters.

I have been lucky enough to see many major League games, all in Texas, at the Astrodome, Arlington Stadium and the Rangers Ball Park. Some of the greatest players of my generation were there for me to see. Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Nolan Ryan and so many others. My maternal Grand father loved baseball, I guess that's where I get my love of the game. I remember, as a little boy, having an AM Transistor radio. After the sun went down and the 50,000 watt AM radio stations cranked up the power on a clear channel, I listened to baseball games from all over the country. I slipped the little radio under my pillow and it was time to Play ball! I was a big St. Louis Cardinals fan at the time (except for the Astros) and Jack Buck and Harry Carey used to bring old Busch Stadium, Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton, Lou Brock, Orlando Cepeda into my bed room 162 times a year.

I even got to meet Mickey Mantle once and I got an autographed baseball from him! Mickey frakkin' Mantle, people!!! Since I live only a couple of hours away from Boston, I am gonna try like hell to get to Fenway Park this summer. I can smell the popcorn now.

I could go on for hours, but instead, I'll save some baseball stories for another time. Until then, Play ball!

Because Toby said so.