What Do I Do Now?

Baseball season is over.  What do I do now?


It was great following the Rangers this year.  It was an odd year attending only 2 games in the first half of the season due to my son's baseball schedule and then sitting/standing in the crowd at Game 6 of the ALCS and Game 5 of the World Series.  I never would have pictured that.  Nor would I have pictured Cliff Lee pitching in a Rangers uni.  Or Cliff losing 2 games in the Series.  I didn't picture C.J. Wilson becoming a dominant starter or David Murphy being the man of the moment so many times or Vlad struggling at the plate like he did.  But then I never pictured Vlad crushing balls during the season before they day they signed him.  I didn't think Greenberg/Ryan would have so much trouble buying the team but I'm certainly glad they did.


I think we will look back in years to come thinking we have had the best ownership group in the game and one of the sharpest GM's in all of baseball.  Theo Epstein was the wonder-child in Boston for so many years, Jon Daniels is the new version.  I still don't know what I think of Ron Washington but I do believe the players will play their hearts out for him.


I've never had people willing to buy my tickets in August.  Not only willing but calling asking if I had tickets for certain games in August.  I usually can't give them away.  I wore the same clothing to 15 games and the Rangers won.  I have fun with baseball superstitions that way.  I wore it to Game 5 of the World Series and they didn't win and I had lots of people looking at me in bewilderment that I wasn't dressed in Rangers red.  Well, the mojo failed that game and the lucky outfit is retired.  Maybe.  I might try it for one game next season and see what happens.


Here's where I thought about a moral to the Rangers saga but you can make your own.  Today, it's just about baseball.  It's a game I didn't enjoy growing up but one I have come to love through the eyes and efforts of my son.  I used to go to games thinking they were boring.  Now I have an appreciation for every nuance of the game - the position of the batter's feet, the path of his hands through the swing, the finish, the pitcher's movements, arm slot, release points.  I watch how base-runners step off the bag getting their lead, the size of their steps.  I'm more aware of how the wind is blowing and what effect that has on a fly ball hit by a left hander to left field as opposed to right field.  There are so many little games within the game...and I love it.  Yes, there are plenty of object lessons to make from baseball and this season for the hometown team.  Today, I miss it and can't wait for spring training in roughly 3 months.


Grace and peace to you.