The way I see it, die-hard fans obsessed with baseball can only do so much during the off-season. 

Watch the Trades:  It was mildly exciting when we started making moves to address the bullpen this season.  It definitely raised my pulse when I heard about Putz and K-Rod.  Still, you read a piece of news, you get excited about it, you forward the mail to all your baseball buddies, you tap your fingers on the desk and wait for replies.  The replies usually run like this:  “Awesome.  K-Rod and Putz will close out those games for sure.  No more sad stats about how many games we would’ve won by if games were only 8 innings long.”  You nod emphatically, you tap your fingers some more.  You fruitlessly return to Metsblog.com or MLB.com or ESPN.com and scour the headlines for something about your team.  You may even get desperate enough to flip through Page Six.  David Wright said what about black people and voting?!  Someone ran over two people in the Dominican Republic?  And then, ho-hum, back to the drawing board.

Other Sports:  I haven’t invested in a pro-football team yet.  I love football but as of yet, I only root for my college team – Rutgers.  I’ve had lots of advice from all sides about whether I should root for the Giants or the Jets but I can’t decide.  The way I saw it, if I started rooting for one of those teams in the 2008 season, I’ve already lost credibility as a fan.  Become a Jets fan and it would’ve been:  “Oh, you’re just hopping on the bandwagon because of Brett Favre.”  Become a Giants fan and of course, I’d hear:  “Easy choice – Super Bowl winners – c’mon.”  The choice has become easier now that Brett Favre stunk it up big time.  I do enjoy rooting for the losing team.  The Jets are sounding better and better. 

Books:  I’ve started reading baseball books.  Anything I could put my hands on.  I read “The Bad Guys Won,” about the 1986 Mets.  It was a great read.  I’m reading “Watching Baseball Smarter,” although the information is a little basic for me.  Still, it’s a really fun way to fill in the gaps in my knowledge. I’ve picked up the rules and strategy of baseball through word of mouth, drunken discussions, and good ol’ Gary, Keith, and Ron.  I mean, if it weren’t for this book, I’d never have learned the proper release technique of a screwball and that sometimes, at the mound, they talk about restaurant reservations (lol).  Although I did already know that Ray Chapman was the only casualty of baseball.

My friend and I were having a completely un-baseball-related discussion (what profession do we find most attractive on men).  I believe I had broached the topic of uniformed men and hotness.  Things like .. police officers, firemen, soldiers .. and when she added baseball players, I hesitated.  For me, the hotness-uniform proportion related directly to the danger associated with the job.  The risk of death. 

“And c’mon.. I mean, baseball players are hot, but the uniforms don’t lend to it.  I don’t know of anyone who’s ever died playing bas-”
“RAYCHAPMANDID.”

That effectively shut me down.

Pine:  Having exhausted all the other distractions, what is there left to do but pine?  Pine after your boys of summer. 

Oh, and did I mention “Plan“?  I’m taking a trip down to Port. St. Lucie in a week!!!  Most of the stars will be at the World Baseball Classic, but I don’t mind.  Maybe it’ll thin the crowds a bit.  I just can’t wait to feel the warm weather, smell the grass, and watch some freakin’ baseball!

Thank goodness the off-season is over.  Now that spring training is
fully underway (although WBC is cannibalizing our players), I can
breathe a sigh of relief.  There is baseball on tv once again. 

Everything’s going to be all right.