Dear Baseball,
Today is one of the best days of the year.
You are bigger than a sport.
You’re engrained in our culture and DNA.
Our love for you is passed down generation to generation through the shared experience of your beautiful game.
The only difference now is the bases are three inches bigger.
And who could blame you for that?
We could all use an extra three inches.
For many, our love for you is conditional.
When our team isn’t competitive we tell people you are boring and you gotta change.
A comforting sight that always warms our heart.
The gatekeeper of the family traditions.
Our connection to the past.
And your house always smells like hot dogs.
When I was about seven years old I played catch with my great grandfather in New York.
He played minor league baseball and you were his passion.
My great grandfather was elated.
He was sure he had the next baseball phenom in his bloodline.
Senility is a bitch but it sure is cute sometimes.
But that’s the funny thing about you.
Except in Oakland And Washington.
They are going to be awful.
I’ve seen your beautiful game give confidence to my son.
I know that can directly be attributed to his growth in your game.
He found his ability to stand tall through you.
And for that I thank you.
And I have found things through you too.
I have spent hours giving tribute to your cousin, the porcelain god.
But I also found the power of positivity.
Last season the Guardians were near the bottom of the league in payroll and were expected to do nothing.
Everyone in the city was shitting on them.
I decided it would be funny to take the opposite approach.
To channel my inner Big Cat and exude Positive Vibes Only.
But they didn’t suck.
Over the last few months I have dealt with a lot of personal strife.
Then my fiance and I decided to split after nearly 10 years.
Those two things together are enough to bring any man to his knees.
But for some reason I kept thinking of you.
Of how last year in the face of mounting adversity I decided to be positive.
I am not naive and I know my feelings had nothing to do with the Guardians success.
A positive mindset is a beautiful and powerful thing.
So today we will go out in downtown Cleveland and every other city having their home opener.
We will over-imbibe on both adult beverages and hot dogs.
After all, we celebrate you through the blood of hops and the body of pig anus.
You are the christ to our nation’s past time.
But win or lose you will give us another beautiful memory.
One we can share with our kids and their kids after them.
Another reminder that life is worth celebrating no matter your circumstances.
Even for you Oakland or Washington fans.
Because pain is temporary but hope will always spring eternal.
You just have to keep the positive vibes flowing.
Truly Yours,
Will
PS.
