Baseball season is upon us! The Devil Rays started with a 1-1 split with the Yankees, leading up to the home opener in St Pete. For those who have never been to a home opener in any stadium, it's always a spectacle. This day was no different, augmented by the new improvements to the stadium and the great momentum produced by the team in Spring Training.
With the men and women of the armed forces waiving a GIANT American flag in the outfield as a famous New York tenor sang both the Canadian and American national anthems, the sold out croud in Tropicana Field could feel the excitement on the threshhold to the start of their beloved game. As a man carrying the ceremonial baseball repelled from the rafters to meet St. Pete's first governor to throw out the first pitch. Each fan had his and her share of hotdogs, beer, popcorn, and peanuts; and the sights and sounds of the indoor ballpark echoed in the senses of 40 thousand.
With new play and new players, the Rays came back in the bottom of the 9th in a style of play which beckons fans back to the stands. New heroes and new villians, this new season presents characters as loved and as hated as any prime-time drama, but at the end of this episode, the good guys win.
So light the dome orange, bang on the cowbells, pull your green and white jerseys from the back of the closet. Baseball has returned to Tampa Bay. You may think I'm a little obsessive. I put too much of my heart into the sport and into something so trivial. And you might not have any idea of what I'm going on about. But as West Westrum said, "Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand." Call me a religious fanatic!
With the men and women of the armed forces waiving a GIANT American flag in the outfield as a famous New York tenor sang both the Canadian and American national anthems, the sold out croud in Tropicana Field could feel the excitement on the threshhold to the start of their beloved game. As a man carrying the ceremonial baseball repelled from the rafters to meet St. Pete's first governor to throw out the first pitch. Each fan had his and her share of hotdogs, beer, popcorn, and peanuts; and the sights and sounds of the indoor ballpark echoed in the senses of 40 thousand.
With new play and new players, the Rays came back in the bottom of the 9th in a style of play which beckons fans back to the stands. New heroes and new villians, this new season presents characters as loved and as hated as any prime-time drama, but at the end of this episode, the good guys win.
So light the dome orange, bang on the cowbells, pull your green and white jerseys from the back of the closet. Baseball has returned to Tampa Bay. You may think I'm a little obsessive. I put too much of my heart into the sport and into something so trivial. And you might not have any idea of what I'm going on about. But as West Westrum said, "Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand." Call me a religious fanatic!