There are only three things America will be known for 2,000 years from now when they study this civilization: the Constitution, jazz music, and baseball
- Gerald Early
Ahh… once again baseball season is upon us, covering us like a blanket and, to paraphrase Walt Whitman, repairing our losses. There is newness to the start of a season that is so strong, no matter how many years one has played or followed the game, it still brings butterflies and goose bumps. In order to truly understand what someone means when they say an atmosphere is ‘electric’, one must attend a baseball game on Opening Day. Whether your league is major, minor or independent, that first game is full of pomp and excitement to rival no other day in professional sports.
As much as I love Opening Day in the Major Leagues, Opening Day at a minor league or independent league has a little something extra to it. The fans there are generally more knowledgeable about their players and the game in general than at an MLB ballpark, I’ve noticed. A greater percentage diligently fill out their score cards and keep records of each game. They love their team, to be sure, but fans of teams outside the major leagues are baseball fans first. The way they watch every pitch and feel their heart race even during the most routine plays; it’s something someone who only goes to games to see home-runs and superstars will never experience.
I have two baseball loves in my life. The Texas Rangers and the Fort Worth Cats. The Rangers are, of course, the Major League team, complete with a large stadium, (relatively) large payroll, merchandising out the wazoo, TV contracts, etc. The whole package. The Cats are an independent league team with a rich history. They have a beautiful stadium for a team of their stature, but it’s still small and humble. They sell T-shirts for $25 instead of jerseys for $200+. The players aren’t household names to anyone but the fans of the team. And you get a sense of this being a baseball team when you are at LaGrave Field and not a baseball business.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the Rangers. We both came to DFW at about the same time (The Rangers from DC and me from the womb) and I have followed them all of my life, even when I was living 400mi away from Arlington. Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is a cathedral despite being old enough to drive. They are playing thus far this season with a zeal and excitement that is infectious. However, as much as I love cheering them on and devoting an inordinate amount of time following them, I get greater satisfaction by sitting in LaGrave field among perhaps 4,000 people (as opposed to 40,000), cheering for the Cats and watching baseball being played the way I imagine it was played in the 40’s and 50’s. No fancy scoreboards, no contract disputes, no blackouts, no distractions other than doing your best and loving the game.
Mike Penner, a columnist for the LA Times once said, “There's nothing wrong with the Little League World Series that locking out the adults couldn't cure.". The same could be said for locking out the business people from baseball. The premise here isn’t hard - “You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.”
Whip is a contributing editor to practically nobody. His work can be found in the comments section of various blogs. Whip invites you to join him at the Cats’ Opening Day game, May 14th at LaGrave Field in downtown Ft. Worth, TX.
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