Episode 3 – The Beauty of Baseball

I love baseball man. It is by far and away, my favorite sport and in my opinion is the greatest invention of mankind. For those of you who don’t know me, I am a ride or die Philadelphia Phillies fan. During the sweltering summer months, you can find me at either CBP or at home listening to 94.1 WIP. Baseball means everything to me.

It does not take a genius to figure out that I am struggling with the hiatus of professional baseball. I miss everything from the smell of the grass, to the heartbreak of defeat. I have written about this topic earlier, but I mean this when I say, I NEED baseball back.

Just because professional baseball is currently not being played, doesn’t mean my daily baseball consumption has stopped. So far during Quarantine, I have read two baseball-related books. The first book I read was entitled “Doc: The Life of Roy Halladay” which is a publication written by Phillies beat writer, Todd Zolecki that dives into the life of the late great, Roy Halladay. The book had me laughing, crying and most of all, had me missing Doc more than ever. If you are a Phillies, Blue Jays or even a fan of baseball, I strongly recommend reading this book.

The second book I read was entitled “The Rotation: A Season with the Phillies and the Greatest Pitching Staff Ever Assembled.” This book is a story about the 2011 Phillies starting rotation that was highlighted by the 4 aces; Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. The book was a nice trip down memory lane as well as a harsh reminder of what could have been (The Phillies were defeated by the Cardinals during the 2011 NLDS after finishing the season with the best record in baseball.) 

Along with my readings, I have been watching daily highlight videos of my favorite players. Some of my favoirtes include; Fransisco Lindor, Ronald Acuna, Trevor Bauer and Javier Báez. I have always been attracted to young, flashy talent and these superstars certainly fit that mold.

Finally, I have been participating in an unhealthy amount of BP sessions since Corona began to loosen its grip. Me and the boys go to our old stomping ground (Shout out, Nottingham Little Leauge) and hit tanks with wood bats. We ride our bikes instead of drives, chew sunflower seeds in the outfield, and feel just like kids again. And that is why baseball is such a beautiful sport. It doesn’t matter if you are 8 or 80, when you step over those white lines you are a ballplayer.