Not many sporting events match the optimistic and festive aura that surrounds opening day of a Major League Baseball team. Add a comfortably sunny and warm spring day, and the gods of baseball are smiling as thousands of fans race through the turnstiles to enjoy the American pastime.
I watched as the Washington Nationals hosted the New York Mets Monday afternoon, April 6 in a losing effort at Nationals Stadium in southeast Washington. The result mattered little. I just treasured this annual rite of spring.
The Lerner family, owners of the Nationals, always offers a stirring dose of patriotism during any given game but particularly so on Opening Day. During pre-game festivities, a U.S. Army group sang “America the Beautiful.” As we all sang the National Anthem, members of the U.S. Coast Guard unfurled in the outfield a huge American flag, followed by a military flyover. And, then, maybe during the 7th inning stretch, a military group sang “ My Country Tis of Thee.”
About the game—the Nationals’ newly-acquired $210 million pitching ace, Max Scherzer, could not overcome two errors by Ian Desmond, the shortstop, and lackluster hitting by his new team in a 3-1 loss to the Mets. I guess that the elusive emotion of hope represented by a highly skilled pitcher—and nearly six innings of giving up no hits– diminishes as human flaws manifested by two serious errors provide a striking contrast to pitching excellence.
Of course, this drama represents excitement in a game that suffers by comparison with the fast-moving and violent game of pro football.
Without becoming too metaphorical, I think that baseball offers a strategic chess match between two teams, struggling to outmatch and outwit the other, punctuated by bursts of activity amid often long stretches of boredom.
I realize that boredom in baseball is in the eyes of the beholder: a pitching duel is viewed as a thing of beauty by some, humdrum by others.
Spectators savor home runs, acrobatic catches by infielders, home-run saving catches by outfielders, double plays, sliding collisions at home plate, arguments with umpires—and even errors that remind us that the superior athletes we are watching are human beings, too.
As I’ve gotten older, I find it comforting that baseball draws families and friends together, demanding attention but allowing chatter and second-guessing in a comfortable setting. In many ways, watching baseball brings back memories of attending games with parents and grandparents and playing baseball in the neighborhood.
And I’ve gone nine paragraphs and mentioned nothing about food. That’s almost heretical. The standard hot dog—yes, it still exists among a variety of gourmet concessions– still certifies that you are in a ballpark and enjoying an experience that would be incomplete without this baseball staple and all the stuff that covers it on a soft roll. Other choices now enhance the culinary experience.
I mentioned optimism at the outset; it’s almost a cliché associated with the first home game in a season that has 161 other contests. Every team is equal at that point though that circumstance won’t last long.
The World Series is every team’s goal, a hope and dream that dominates every player, coach, and owner. It’s a new season. Why not?
The festive atmosphere is nearly perfect for flights of fancy. The ballpark is filled with enthusiastic fans eager for the home team to withstand a lengthy season—and at least achieve the playoffs. Anything is possible.
Nothing matches Opening Day, a brief holiday from all our other concerns.
Columnist Howard Freedlander retired in 2011 as Deputy State Treasurer of the State of Maryland. Previously, he was the executive officer of the Maryland National Guard. He also served as community editor for Chesapeake Publishing, lastly at the Queen Anne’s Record-Observer. In retirement, Howard serves on the boards of several non-profits on the Eastern Shore, Annapolis and Philadelphia. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in political science and journalism and a master of science degree in strategic intelligence from the Joint Military Intelligence College.
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