Baseball on the brain

I have that week-before-Opening-Day feeling right now, the one where everything I see and feel reminds me of baseball. I saw a Schneider National Shipping truck the other day, and of course I thought of the Nationals Brian Schneider. As I walked home from work today, I noticed some lamp posts topped with big bulbs with dirt spots that resembled stitches on a ball. Some cracks in the sidewalk made the shape of home plate; a man whistled something that sounded like Take Me Out to the Ballgame; the hot dog stand smelled like the ballpark. I swear some guy screamed "Cold beer, here!" as I took a breath of spring air, and even strangers I passed on the street look like ballplayers. If I hadn't known the Chief was down in Florida, I would have sworn he was sitting at Caribou Coffee earlier today as I ordered an espresso.

I just watched the Reds beat the Pirates on their way to a 17-11 Spring Training record. Sweeeet. The Reds winning? Stranger things have happened.

One of the strangest things I've come across recently is Oh Say Can You Sing, where Major Leaguers sing popular songs, including Sean Casey singing Toby Keith, Ben Broussard singing With or Without You, and Coco Crisp (snicker) rapping his original song. (I can't help but laugh every time I hear his name.) Of course all of this is for charity, so it's a good cause, but I don't think I'll be putting down the bucks for the CD. I'll save my money for tickets.


Six days to go...