Diary of a Diehard

As many of you know, I am not a big fan of baseball commissioner Bud Selig. To me he is the embodiment of much that is wrong with the game of baseball. Oh sure his supporters will point to Inter-league play, the wild card, and resurgence of fans flocking to the ballparks. Granted those are all noble accomplishments but I strongly believe that they would have happened regardless of who happened to be the commissioner of baseball. Each time I hear the commissioner speak I come away feeling as though I am about to be fleeced. Perhaps it is the fact that Mr. Selig used to be a used car salesman that gives me the hee bee jeebies. Wow, I think that is the first time in my life that I have ever used the term “hee bee jeebies” in a sentence that didn’t include some reference to crayons or old people. The point with Bud Selig is that he rarely makes a decision or present an idea when he doesn’t already have all the votes already aligned to make sure that the outcome will go exactly how he wants it. Perhaps that is just pragmatically playing the political game with owners or players but to fans it comes across as sleazy. So when it was announced that commissioner Bud Selig would be holding a press conference at Chase Field I was both curious and apprehensive.

Continue reading ‘Hey Now You’re an All-Star’ »

Just about a week ago my wife Trina informed me of the impending destruction of our washer and dryer. Ok, that is not exactly true. According to Trina she has been telling me for months that our washing machine was dying it was just a week ago that I started listening to her. In my defense I probably would have listened to her earlier if the washing machine was not making so much noise but then that probably should have clued me in that there was a problem in the first place. In a guy’s mind “impending destruction” of an appliance means that we still have time. It’s not like the appliance is already dead; it’s just mostly dead which means it’s partially alive. That distinction may be a technicality and in my case it was a short-lived technicality. The washer decided the day before Opening Day to finally give up the ghost. With its last spin it squealed like a teenage girl at the sight of Conor Jackson then died never to spin again.

Continue reading ‘What Priority Problem?’ »

Friday September 5, 2008; I remember that day like it was yesterday. The Arizona Diamondbacks were hanging on to first place in the National League West and were heading to Los Angeles to meet the charging Los Angeles Dodgers. While the baseball season is 162 games long, it was basically going to come down to this series. If the Diamondbacks could win here they were almost assured of winning the division and making their second consecutive trip to the post season. The hype surrounding this series had reached biblical proportions. I literally heard people praying for the snakes. Oh what an ironic twist to see religious people rooting for the serpent. But that is what baseball is all about; finding a team you can follow and walking with them through the long season cheering their accomplishments and feeling the pain when they falter. This series had an even more personal connection for me.

Continue reading ‘Here We Go Again’ »

In the midst of last season the Arizona Diamondbacks reached an agreement with Dan Haren on a contract extension that would keep him in Sedona Red for the foreseeable future. This was of course great news since Haren had become such an important part of Arizona’s success in the 2008 season. Almost immediately everyone wondered when the Diamondbacks would reach a similar agreement with staff ace Brandon Webb. Word quickly spread that Arizona was negotiating with their star pitcher and progress was being made. Then as quickly as that the good news of an extension was replaced with word that negotiations had broke down and no deal would be announced.

Continue reading ‘Maybe We Should Call Geico’ »

I’ve always dreamed of a job working for Major League Baseball. I mean what fan does not envision himself in some capacity “straightening out” the commissioner’s office and letting them know what a “real fan” wants from the game? I keep looking at Monster.com and MLB.com but I can never find a job listing where the qualifications include “obsessive fan”. That doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying after all those people at the MLB offices can’t live forever. I used to think that I would take any job in baseball but as I have gotten older I have become more selective. For example I will no longer be willing to be the guy who taste tests the weird food at the ballpark. Give me a Hungry Hill Sausage and I’m happy; make me eat garlic fish tacos with peanut salsa and I’m probably going to lose it faster than the Washington Nationals. As of this year I have added another baseball job that I would never want to have.

Continue reading ‘Welcome to Wrigley Field?’ »

One of the most anticipated moments each year is when the Arizona Diamondbacks release their promotional schedule. I already plan on attending every home game of the season but we have two season tickets which means someone is going with me. That someone in many cases is determined by the promotional schedule. As a husband and father I will usually take my wife or one of my kids to the ballpark. In the early years of the Diamondbacks it was much simpler. I have five kids and a wife so someone was usually trying to get out of the house and would go to the game. My oldest daughter has now graduated from college and is married. My next two daughters are likewise graduated from high school and are attending college out of state. This leaves my youngest daughter, my son, and my wife to divide up the games. Considering that my daughter has very little interest in baseball and you begin to see my dilemma. This is where the promotional schedule comes in.

Continue reading ‘Bobble the Vote’ »

Every year I look forward to Opening Day. There is just something about the beginning of baseball that makes everything seem right with the world. It signifies the beginning where everyone starts over with a clean slate and all teams are looking to reach a single goal. There is no bickering and fighting, no one has an extended losing streak, no one is being sent back to the minors. Cuts have already been made and the 25 players on the roster represent the best pieces to make a team successful and lead them to the post season. It is a rite of passage signifying the end of spring and innocence. It is a metaphor of life when each of us leaves the nest and branch out on our own. We are bound to make mistakes and some of us will fail but the strong will survive on their diligence, their hard work, and with a little luck. In the end they will be rewarded based upon their performance with the most consistent being rewarded with the ultimate prize.

Continue reading ‘What Opening Day Means’ »

According to the calendar, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere occurs on the summer solstice. This is day that the earth’s “circle of illumination” receives the longest amount of daylight. On this date the North Pole will receive 24 hours of daylight while the South Pole will receive 24 hours of darkness. The equator will be equally split into 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. As a child I always thought Christmas Eve was the longest day of the year as it seemed like it lasted forever as we waited for night fall so that Santa Claus could come and visit our house. Come to think of it Christmas Eve was also the longest night of the year since it took forever to end and become Christmas morning so we could see what bounty the old elf had brought us during the night.

Continue reading ‘The Longest Day of the Year’ »

It seemed as though the days dragged on this off-season and that baseball was dark forever. Every day I would look at the calendar and although it said that we were one day closer to Spring Training it felt as though we had taken a step backwards in time and that the rites of Spring would never come. Finally after all the wait; pitchers and catchers began arriving in Tucson for the eventual beginning of Spring Training. It was a glorious day on February 14 when players officially began to report. I am constantly reminded by my wife that it was also Valentine’s Day and that in the future I should probably remember the date. A few days after pitchers and catchers; the remaining players arrived at Tucson Electric Park and Spring Training officially opened.

Continue reading ‘The Final Spring Game’ »