Welcome... | 
This morning was a morning that should have been like any other.
I woke up to that infernal sound of an alarm clock and stumbled through my room grabbing clothes and heading towards the warmth of the shower. A shave, a brush, grab my trusty redbirds cap and out the door I went. And that is when today changed from every other day…
Stumbling outside I was greeted by the cool autumn air, the moisture on the grass that was a cross between dew and frost, a car that took a few minutes to warm up, windows that needed defrosted, and visible breath. I sat in the car warming it up and the first clear thought of the day seeped through my brain and a smile crept onto my face.
It’s October.
One hundred and sixty two games ago, thirty two major league baseball teams began their journeys to this place. Post season baseball has arrived. And while two teams will play one more time to determine who goes further, most of the dust has settled and we have a clear view of the promised land of baseball. It’s the month and series that every little boy dreams of in his backyard. It’s the time of year that makes players into legends. It’s the games that lead to prayers, the moments that last a lifetime, the situations that can move you to tears, and the stories you will tell your children someday.
It’s time, once again, baseball fans, to settle in front of your televisions for moments you don’t want to miss. It’s the time that some of us fans save our vacation time for. This is when every moment counts. This is when every pitch, every catch, every throw, and every strikeout will be debated for hours. During the course of a season we pundits are quick to spit out, “It’s a long season” or “there’s one hundred and sixty one more games to play”. All of that goes away when the first pitch of the playoffs is thrown. All of that falls by the wayside.
In the National League this year, three of the most historic franchises will be joined by one of the league’s infant prodigies. The Cardinals, Dodgers and Phillies will settle into the month that they have all come to know so well along side the Rockies who look to prove that you can be rich in the present, even if you don’t have the past.
The Yankees and Red Sox will take their customary October places alongside the Angels and a yet to be determined dance partner. Tradition runs rich out East with two of baseball’s history makers and looks to be made exciting with a solid Angels team and a scrappy bunch from the Central, whether the Tigers or the Twins.
The fields will be adorned with new artwork and historical figures. The players that my generation and the generations before me worshiped and witnessed will trot back onto the field to be honored and to, hopefully, bring good luck to the franchises that allowed them that privilege.
Videos of black and white, poor color quality, and grainy screens will run before every game reminding us of where we were when our favorite teams celebrated some of their greatest moments. Audio will run from voices long since gone that will take us back to our childhoods and remind us of what it was like to be on top of the world with our team. The same audio will reach homes where some will remember where they were the moment that thrill and excitement slipped from their grasp.
Welcome back, my friends. Welcome to heartbreak. Welcome to excitement. Welcome to the embodiment of everything that is life.
Welcome to baseball.
Topics: 2009 postseason, Alarm Clock, Angels, Autumn, Autumn Air, baseball, Baseball Fans, Cardinals, Dodgers, Fall, Journeys, League Baseball Teams, Legends, Major League Baseball, Major League Baseball Teams, October, Phillies, Play One, Prodigies, Pundits, Red Sox, Redbirds, Rockies, Season Baseball, Strikeout, Thought Of The Day, Tigers, Time Of Year, Trusty, Twins, Two Games, Vacation Time, Warmth, Wayside, Yankees
Latest Headlines
- Possible La Russa Replacements
- Rodriguez Proves To Be Valuable For Rays
- Welcome To The Team Cut Your Hair
- Inside the Hobby – Online Trading
- BD Fantasy: The Buck Stops Here
- Retro Box Breaks – 2005 Topps Total
- BD Fantasy: Highlighting September Call-Ups
- Baseball Digest Classic Discussion: Higher Standards – Part IV
- Francouer And Mets Agree To Just Be Friends
- Burnett Joins The Race
- Former Met, Royal Hearn To Be Honored At Nephcure Foundation Night At Citi Field
- A Look At The Reds Pitchers-Part 2 The Bull Pen
- I-70 Baseball Radio And WWPM MediaNet Reach Agreement
- Javy In, Andy Waits
- Gotham Baseball LIVE: Adam Worthington Interview
In The News
BD Fantasy: Can Aroldis Chapman Help You?
After a lights-out debut by
Pinstripe Recap: Yankees & Rays Set For Battle To The Wire
A five-hundred week allowed the Rays to catch the Yankees and set up a race to the AL East finish.
Rushing Niemann Was Not Smart
The Rays activated Jeff Niemann from the disabled list couple of weeks ago, but it has not been smooth sailing for him so far.
Baseball Digest Classic Discussion: Higher Standards – Part III
Kirk Verner provides Part III of our series on players as role models, an ideal he has a hard time accepting.
That is a great sendoff article. it grabs the attetion of ht ebaseball fans! Good work, Bill.
Well played… bring on the Dodgers!
ATH
good stuff, my team is not in the post season (just like many others) so i will sit back and pop-a-top and enjoy. humm-baby
Well written. Are you still enjoying the playoffs now that the overachieving Cardinals are out?
As a matter of fact, yes I am. It should be a postseason to remember! Thanks for stopping by!