Free Baseball refers to extra innings in a game.
You know the ones.Your team has a cozy, comfortable lead going into the late innings, and then the bullpen comes out, but things somehow start to go badly, the pitchers go sour and give up runs, lots of runs, homeruns, all sorts of runs, and the comfortable lead vanishes and suddenly the game is tied, and so the game continues for a few more innings, but your bats are cold, no one can hit, and you run out of relievers, and then you give up the game-winning run to the other team, and then the game is over, and you lost. Then you go out and do the very same thing the next day.
Just hypothetical, of course. Unless you’re a Baltimore Orioles fan, in which case, this is suddenly reality.
Sigh.
So, for your extra innings today … a few things to help settle the bullpen down, and to kill some time because it hurts just a little too much to talk about baseball today.
10th INNING ~ Get Smarter
Maybe our bullpen pitchers need to sharpen up the old coconuts. Get a little smarter, sharper, quicker.
A friend of mine recently turned me on to Lumosity.com, which offers you a few minutes of games and puzzles each day as a means to keep your mind sharp and your brain supple. My friend is pretty smart, so I thought I would give it a go. I’ve been at it for a month or so. I still don’t understand physics, but maybe I am a bit quicker at finding my car keys in the morning. So, progress.
There’s a free version and a subscription version, which offers a few extra games each day. Try it out and let me know how you do feeding all those bloody confusing fish in that stupid koi pond.
11th INNING ~ Get Peaceful
Science has shown that meditation can soothe the mind and quiet the brain. Maybe it’s time to get your OM on. I heard a story this morning that reported on how meditation can help repair damage to the brain in soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). You can find it here.
But, everyone can benefit from a bit of stillness. And, even if you’ve only got a minute … good enough. Try a one-minute meditation, here.
Maybe the bullpen pitchers can try a bit of quiet reflection, rather than flirting with the girls nearby, or throwing sunflower seeds at each other.
12th INNING ~ Get Bears!
So, if your team just got swept, your batters and your bullpen let you down (and no, my blog post about bullpens this week did not jinx them … it couldn’t of, could it?), then the only thing left are bear cubs.
The Wildlife Center of Virginia has 16 of them … and they’re all on the Critter Cam. You really do need to watch them. You’ll forget all about how your favorite team let you down this week. Watch here (try Cam 1 … that’s where they’re usually hanging out.)
photo courtesy of the Wildlife Center of Virginia
Oh God, they’re so cute.
Enjoy this free baseball … the Orioles’ amazing comeback begins tomorrow!
The Baseball Bloggess 
Bear cam is much more fun than watching my Chicago Cubs! And I don’t think you jinxed anything — our teams just have wickedly bad days at times.
I could watch that bear cam all day! I love the Wildlife Center of Virginia … they do amazing work!
As a Mets fan, I can totally understand the whole bullpen blowing the lead –> extra innings. I think that we’ve had more free baseball this year than any other team.
The Orioles were magical last year in extra innings — this year, we just can’t put those winning runs over. I think the White Sox have played 20 extra inning games this year and lost most of them. So, we Orioles and Mets fans can at least look to some other team that is worse off than we are this year!
It could be worse, you could be a Rockies and Twins fan over all this year :-(. Still, even a bad day of baseball if you are at the park is better than lots of other days :-)
You’re exactly right! I’m looking forward to the Orioles’ upcoming homestand. And, the Rockies are in town this weekend … someone has to win!
I’ve experienced the exact opposite lately. It’s my team coming back each night and winning with the walk off. And it feels so surreal because it’s certainly not something I’m accustomed to. I hope it continues but baseball is an unforgiving game, it’s long and hard and I’m sure there will be more trials along the way. Hopefully the opposite happens to your team and you start winning again!
Earl Weaver, the beloved longtime Orioles manager, once said that the only winning streak he believes in is the “one-game winning streak.” The only thing that matters is today’s game. Yoga is all about the present moment and so is baseball — can’t fix yesterday’s game, can’t win tomorrow’s. So today’s a new day … :)
We need free baseball sometimes. As much as it hurts we need the devastating losses to make the comebacks and wins that much more enjoyable. Hoping you get your amazing comeback (not too far though, I still want the Red Sox to stay in the lead)
I promise that I will love and enjoy and savor the wins … even without the stupid losses. I promise! :) Your Red Sox look good … it’s amazing what a change in attitude (and management) can do! And, as long as the Orioles do their best (and don’t give up, like some teams can do at this point in the season), then I’m all-in! Thanks for the good thoughts!
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