Wednesday, March 2, 2011

The return of the boys of summer

The crack of the bat. The smell of the grass. The sights and sounds of summer have returned. The one sport that faithfully follows the ebb and flow of our lives is back. Sure, the young kids are ignoring it and fewer people are watching it - but baseball is still America's game.

Just as we have black letter law and the common law; baseball has its rulebook and its "unwritten rules" governing everything from stealing signs to celebrating a home run to lighting your teammate's shoes on fire. Just remember that it's okay to steal signs if you're standing on second base, but never, ever turn around and look at the catcher if you're standing in the batter's box. If you do, the next one is coming at your head.

This spring is a little sadder than the past because the great Duke Snider passed away this past weekend. For those of y'all unfamiliar with Mr. Snider - he was the centerfielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1940's and 50's. As great a ball player as he was, he was never better than the third best centerfielder in the Big Apple behind Willie Mays of the Giants and Mickey Mantle of the Mets.

Pull up a chair and lend an ear to "Talking Baseball" and get yourself ready for the Boys of Summer.

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