Spring & Baseball-Almost Perfect Together

We have sprung ahead and the days are longer, St. Patrick’s Day is Thursday, spring officially begins Sunday…all positive signs at least for most of us.

Of course what’s really putting a smile on the face of many is that baseball is back with a full 162-game season beginning April 7. I heard all the tough talk during the lockout from fans who said they are done with baseball and not only won’t attend any games but will not even watch them on TV.  No doubt there will be some who will stick by their words but if in July their team is fighting for first place I find it hard to picture them turning their attention to reading a good book or watching soccer.

Then again I believe any lockout or strike does have a negative impact on the sport and to some extent this one will as well.  The diehard fan will not abandon baseball even though the players and owners did that to them and in truth both sides know they have them in the fold.  However the casual fan who does not live and die with every Yankees-Red Sox or Mets-Phillies game might indeed take a step back.  Truthfully only time will tell.

As for me I’m a born sucker.  MLB knows that while I might moan and groan and blame both sides for holding me hostage in the end I’ll be back.  That is partly due to the fact that I’m a Mets fan and am excited not only about the season but having an owner who clearly is feared by other owners because he’s spending his money to bring a winner to CitiField.  It’s a far cry from what existed in the past when it came to New York’s “other” team.

So here we are.  Quoting a phrase from an Alexander Pope poem, “hope springs eternal.”  Translation….”Let’s Go Mets.”