Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Today's Sermon: Approaching Baseball's Holiday

I've been a Reds fan since before I was born.

I saw my first game as a one-year old in Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego. My mother is from Dayton and my family has been rooting for Cincinnati for generations, so when my mother moved out to Southern California and I first drew breath from the living air, I inherited the love for the Reds. Five years later, we were in Dayton, where I remained for 20 years and saw countless Reds games in dear old Riverfront Stadium (may it rest in peace.)

I remember teachers turning on the television for Opening Day in elementary school, and I would rush home between the third and fourth innings so I wouldn't miss a pitch. Back in those days, I was never allowed to miss school; now, I make sure I take Opening Day off. It's a holiday. Just because I don't live in Cincinnati doesn't mean I shouldn't celebrate, right? In these days of technology, I can watch my Reds online, which is great. (Every so often I can get 700 WLW out here on the radio in DC. I think it was Jack Kerouac who said 700 WLW reaches half of America.) Still, none of this is the same as going to Opening Day. I've never been. Well, maybe one day...

I did have the good fortune of going to the Nats' home opener last year. It was the second best baseball game I had ever been to, the first being the World Series game at Pac Bell Park in good old San Fran. Love those Giants! (It will always be Pac Bell to me, my weekend playground and my favorite ballpark.)

55 days and counting...

Pray that Opening Day weather is sunny and 70 degrees.

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