© The Baseball Bloggess
Does every day seem like Wednesday to you?
It never feels like the beginning of the week any more. Or, the end.
It just feels like some nebulous place that is neither here nor there.
It seems, as Wednesdays actually are, as far away from the weekend as you can get. Far away from nights out, restaurants, concerts, day hikes, farmers’ markets. Baseball.
Just one big endless Wednesday.
I have so few routines that haven’t been upended in some way in the past two months.
I rarely check the clock anymore, and I am often surprised when I do.
“It’s 9:30? How did it get to be 9:30?”
“Two o’clock already? I guess I forgot to have lunch.”
Some would say this is a good thing. That being untied to a clock or calendar is a reprieve from the demands of artificial time.
But, I like being tied. I like being needed. I like having something to do. Somewhere to be.
Something.
I miss this.
According to a new Gallup poll, 59 percent of Americans reported that they worried “a lot” back in March when this mess unfurled. Just 47 percent now.
In that poll, 72 percent of Americans reported being happy “a lot of the day yesterday.” That’s a five-percent increase from late March.
Am I happier?
Well, it’s 10 a.m. and I’m still in my pajamas, still enjoying my morning coffee.
Photo by Chevanon Photography on Pexels.com
So, there is that.
I suppose we’ve gotten more used to things. Those things that seemed weird, unworkable, abnormal, and frustrating in March are much easier today.
Even Editor/Husband, who often considers technology overrated, can Zoom a meeting on our wonky and unreliable internet. I’ve learned to create and upload audio Yoga classes, teaching to an empty room. I know more about audio engineering and compressing MP3’s than I ever expected.
I’ve watched Korean baseball and it’s oddly comforting. (Cheerleaders on top of the dugouts, though? Very strange.)
Am I happy with all that?
Is being relieved the same thing as being happy?
Maybe the question is this … just how resilient are we? How much “new normal” can there be before we notice how much “old normal” can’t be rejiggered into something that’s kinda-sorta acceptable?
I mean, sure, our lives are upended in so many ways. But, look at how much we’ve figured out.
Today’s new normal is newer than mid-April’s “new normal,” which is now the old-new normal, not to be confused with the older-old-new normal of late March, which is nothing like the old-old-old normal from before this entire mess began.
Today’s new normal will be the old-new normal soon enough. Maybe by tomorrow.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve dealt far better than I thought I would.
Photo by Steshka Willems on Pexels.com
But, I still miss baseball.
Although, if the new season does come, I won’t miss the spitting.
Because no more spitting is just one item buried inside 67 pages of restrictions and changes that Major League Baseball is proposing.
No more spitting, sunflower seeds, tobacco. No more high fives, fist-bumps, hugs. Six feet of social distancing and masks will be required when sitting in the dugout, but, of course, not while standing on base.
Universal DH.
No fans.
Is it worth all that to get baseball back?
It sort of annoys me that Major League Baseball issued their directive like this: “Look everybody! We’re willing to play ball. We typed up 67 pages of how we can do it. If the players and their union reject it, it’s their fault. Blame them. We tried to bring baseball back to America.”
That bothers me. Why blame the players if they are unwilling to put themselves or their families at risk?
I wear a mask when I go out in public, not because I have to – I’m not required to. I wear it because I believe it is in my own interest, but also in the interest of the community. I don’t want to expose myself, Editor/Husband, or our three cats to infection. And, I don’t want to expose you to infection either.
If the players aren’t comfortable with the safety protocols that Major League Baseball has offered, why shouldn’t I respect that?
Am I willing to give up baseball for awhile?
Yup.
That’s all I wanted to say. That I’m willing to wait.
I miss baseball. But, not so much that I want anyone to feel that they or their family is at risk.
I can wait.
Patience, like endless Wednesdays, has become one of my new normals.
Waiting, Wistfully, Wednesday’fully Yours, The Baseball Bloggess
The Baseball Bloggess 
Yes I actually thought. 10am, really! Imagine my phew expression to learn I had 15 min before my time zone hit 10am. Why? Nothing pressing. Thats for sure. Back to whatever day this is…
Saw that list of new rules..really? Ugh
If MLB has to take 67 pages to outline a litany of precautions and restrictions and safety measures and testing requirements, don’t you think that maybe, just maybe, we’d be better off just waiting awhile?
I miss the crotch grabbing and ass slapping. Just kidding. :)
Yes, we all have to make sacrifices. :)
Happy Birthday to Brooks Robinson!
After a home run, the player will simply go into the dugout and sit down, just like Shoeless Joe in “Eight Men Out.”
And, then put on their mask.
I think it’s 50-50 at best that they play this year, especially if they’re thinking early July. It’s just a big lift in a short period. For now, I’ll enjoy replays of Korean baseball.
Where we live, it seems like whatever percentage of “normal” is available, people are taking it. For example, we see a lot more cars when we walk now, so wherever people can go, they’re going.
I’m enjoying Korean baseball, too. And, whenever we get to see the LG Twins play, I don my Hyon-soo Kim tee-shirt — a game giveaway from his time in Baltimore. It’s just nice to have something to root for.
Just saw that in “old normal “ the O’s would be opening a series tonight at Target Field. Sigh…
Baltimore Orioles … mid-May and still undefeated!
I agree about MLB. If they have to play under 67 pages of restrictions, it may not look anything like baseball and it’s not worth the risk anyway. Does anyone really think they’ll be able to refrain from spitting or high-fiving? Doubtful. I’ve been enjoying Korean baseball and even picked a team to root for, so I can get by.
If they have to write 67 pages of precautions … certainly not worth the risk.
What team are you rooting for? We are soft on the LG Twins because I have a Hyun-soo Kim tee-shirt — a giveaway from his time with the Orioles — that I wear when their games air. Also, Tyler Wilson, one of the Twins starting pitchers, is a former Oriole and a former University of Virginia player — a two-fer!
So, yes, I am with you: “I can get by.”
I picked the LG Twins, too! I’m a Mets fan and they remind me of the Mets in a lot of ways, and I like the uniforms. I remember Hyun-soo Kim from the Phillies, but I tend to follow the National League more. That’s very cool about Tyler Wilson. Did you see him play when he was with the Orioles and UVA?
Twitch posts all the games in the KBO after they end. This is a link to today’s Twins game: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/625511805. If you have a VPN, you can watch the games live on there, but since they’re on so early here, I like to watch later and pretend it’s live. The broadcast is in Korean and even though I have no idea what they’re saying, it’s more enjoyable than the ESPN folks. LOL.
I totally agree with you about baseball. I don’t think they should rush to bring it back even though they have those 67 pages. I’d like to see them get rid of spitting in general because it’s gross but it still seems like there are so many unknowns and if everyone can agree on the conditions.
The spitting thing is so so so weird. And, disgusting. And, let’s just ban chewing tobacco while we’re at it.
You almost had me convinced that it is Wednesday.
It IS Wednesday. It was Wednesday yesterday. It will be Wednesday tomorrow. It is ever-Wednesday.
I’m realizing that I’ve pretty much given up on Baseball for this year.
It appears that, if we are going to have games, we are going to have to accept restrictions and changes so extreme that the game will be barely recognizable. Changes- like players wearing masks in the dugout, and no fans in the stands- that will just be depressing, reminding us more of what we’ve lost than what we have.
Also, do not think for a minute that MLB will not use this disruption as an opportunity to make changes to the game (7 innings, anyone?), that will become permanent, when the all clear is sounded. “We need to expose fewer people to possible contagion, so let’s bring in robotic umpires.” Who could say no?
Then, there’s the huge question of what happens to the stats? What happens to batting averages and all the other numbers over which we obsess? Do we just disregard this year? Asterisks? What will a League or a World Championship mean, played by teams who started their season in June- or July?
I, reluctantly, say no. No, let’s just write this season off, like a bad dream. It’ll be tough for everyone, especially players who will lose one of their precious playing years, but the alternative is just… well, grotesque, somehow. Let’s just not do it.
I agree that this season probably should just disappear, but my reasons are more risk related. If the players believe there is risk to themselves and their families, then I respect their decisions not to play. (I also happen to believe in the risk involved, but I’d respect it either way.)
I think the stats are just the stats. Stats from pre-1947 are tainted because they don’t include some of the greatest players of the time who happened to have the wrong skin color. Stats during WWI and II were tainted by the lesser talent that was brought in as some of the games greatest were drafted. There have been the seasons shortened by strike years as well. Games from the 1980s and 1990s were tainted … well, you know … So, really, there is no perfection when it comes to statistics. Just ask Roger Maris.
As for no fans, I have to say, watching the KBO on television these last few weeks … I have hardly noticed the lack of fans. I’ve just enjoyed watching the game. And, I continually go back to something Buck Showalter didn’t say — but almost did before he caught himself — back in 2015 following the “no fans” game in Baltimore. Post-game, reporters asked him if he and the players found it odd playing without fans. And, he sort of shook his head and was about to say “No, it felt just the same” and then he caught himself and said something boilerplate about missing the fans. But, the players were sort of the same way. We’re nice to have around, I guess, but they didn’t really miss us when we were gone.
But, at the end of the day … I’m not comfortable walking into my local grocery store for 5 minutes. So, I certainly wouldn’t force players into a risky situation and into a heartless and unmanageable quarantine just to play some games.
Miss it too. Willing to wait too. I wish kids’ leagues were as patient.
Pingback: The week gone by — May 24 – A Silly Place
This is a great post
“This must be Thursday”, said Arthur. “I never could get the hang of Thursdays”. -Hitchhiker’s Guide.
Oh, but Thursdays! That day that hangs there … luring you almost, nearly, just about to Friday! So much more preferable to Wednesdays. :)
Thanks for stopping by!
That’s an interesting piece, Jackie! Enjoyed reading it!
Thanks for stopping by! :)