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Just a few hours ago, the Baltimore Orioles announced on Twitter that tonight they will be playing real life baseball.
I sometimes slam on my brain brakes when I stumble over an especially egregious typo as I’m reading stuff online. What happened here wasn’t a typo exactly, but I slammed on my brain brakes anyway, and I I reread it to make sure that I read what I thought I read. And, what I read was, indeed, what I thought I read.
Real life baseball.
Real life.
Real.
This, today in 2020, transcended typo.
To quote John Lennon – who said a lot of things better than people like me – describing Strawberry Fields, the park of his youth … “nothing is real.”
Because, nothing is real … or right … or normal these days and certainly not baseball, which is kicking off a 66-day season this week and pretending it will somehow, someway equal a real six-month season.
Which, I’m sure you’ll agree, it won’t.
Yesterday, Canada politely – because they are a polite country – told the Toronto Blue Jays to buzz off, because Canada is not about to jeopardize the health and safety of its country just so a bunch of ballplayers can traipse in and out of Toronto to play a 66-day season which, I’m sure you’ll continue to agree, is not a real season.
So, the Toronto Blue Jays are homeless, which is kind of sad, but good for you, Canada.
I can’t help but be a little giddy about baseball games starting up this week and I’m mad at myself about that. I’m supposed to be angry and weary and sad and ready to chuck the season for the greater good of making our country healthy.
And, I am all those things. Angry, weary, sad, and ready to chuck.
I am all those things.
And, yet, baseball.
It has been so god-awful lonely without baseball. It has been so empty and so miserable.
Wouldn’t a baseball game, well, not exactly fix things, but maybe make things a tiny bit less miserable?
But, then, I get angry and weary and sad and ready to chuck the season all over again because who am I to ask someone to risk their health – and the health of their families – just so I can feel a little less miserable?
I can’t do that.
Nothing is real anymore. Not even baseball.
Always, no, sometimes think it’s me
But, you know, I know when it’s a dream
I think a no, I mean a yes
But it’s all wrong
That is I think I disagree
What he said.
The Baseball Bloggess 
I only recognize one name in this lineup, Chris Davis, and possibly DJ Stewart…i have heard of Austin Hays
Yup, that’s pretty much the 2019 Orioles lineup. They’re not the best, but they try hard. Stevie Wilkerson is pretty much a utility guy, but he deserves this replay from last September — his catch makes me happy every time I watch it:
Rio Ruiz was once a bright prospect for the Atlanta Braves.
Ambivalence
n. 1. the simultaneous existence of contradictory feelings and attitudes, such as pleasantness and unpleasantness or friendliness and hostility, toward the same person, object, event, or situation.
-Jackie, all I can say is, I’m having the same, unpleasantly mixed, emotions and feelings. Mostly, as I’ve previously said, I just want this pitiful excuse of a “season” to go away, stay away and pretend it never existed, but that’s not happening. On top of everything else, the Giants are rebuilding, so I recognize the names of only a half-dozen players (if that), and one of them (Posey) has already said he’ll sit this one out. Several others- Crawford, Pence (for God’s sake), Sandoval (likewise), may just retire after this year, so it seems I’ve got to listen to the games because I may never hear Jon Miller say their names again.
Saving grace: I usually listen to the games in my “Happy Place”- an Adirondack chair in the back yard- while working my way through a few beers. By the seventh inning, I may forget the circumstances, and just enjoy the ball game. Worth a try.
Hold on to that happy place with all your strength, John. If they’re insisting on having a season, we might as well enjoy what we can.
And, as a fan of a team that’s on year 3 of a rebuild … it’s really not so bad. I mean, the losing is no fun, but watching a lineup of unknown players with nothing to lose just joyfully trying to enjoy their opportunity to play a game they love (and get paid for it) is quite nice. It really is.
Hey Jackie. I have not been reading you regularly but decided I had to read this one. Well put. And… the long time Orioles announcers on MASN, Gary Thorne and Jim Palmer will not be calling the games because the Os are maximizing safety and minimizing risk by keeping the number of press and reporters into Camden Yards to a minimum. The two announcers they will be using (two more names you might not have heard of) will sit in separate booths at the Yard, with monitors on for all home…. and away games to call the games, even Blue Jays home games, which as of this post will either be in Buffalo or in their virus infected spring training home in Dunedin FL or some other baseball venue that may spring up in the next 4 days to claim them.
I guess for the other commenter not recognizing Os lineup names, he might have recognized Trey Mancini who is the Os best player but out for this season treating his Colon Cancer. Yes, some things are bigger than baseball.
Thanks for blogging.
Yup, things will be different. I know that Jim Palmer will be doing “Zoom In’s” from home which will be nice. And, we’ll still have Bordy and Ben McDonald doing color. So not entirely unknowns. :)
I think that Gary is also tied up with the NHL for the next bit … so that would have eliminated him regardless.
It does remind us that most of the Orioles broadcasters fall into the “high risk” category because of their ages.
I like Bordick and McDonald, but no one can match Jim Palmer for his insight and commentary. I’m betting Jim will also be a regular presence on Twitter during the games.
The Blue Jays say they’re intent on having a “major league” park, which makes me wonder … do you think they are also asking other AL/NL East parks to share? Buffalo’s park is the largest minor league park in the country — but that’s not to assume that it offers major league quality clubhouse accomodations and equipment.
So many questions … so few answers … that pretty much sums up Baseball 2020.
Nothing is real, Jackie, you’re right. Not even youth baseball—which was *sorta* real, except that pitifully-timed rain (umm, 12 games rained out in a less than 2-month youth season??) and COVID shut down many attempts to get the Show on the road, even if the Show was populated by kids 14 and under. So much strange and such uncertainty has affected our shared summer love—maybe something passing for real can be salvaged in 66 days? Let’s hope for something good, real good. My fingers are crossed.
I wish they would just shut it down before something really bad happens. But, if they insist on playing then I’m going to do my best to get as much joy out of the games as I can. I’m with you … I’m hoping for something good, real good. Well, the O’s could still, likely, lose all 60 games, but in this weirdness … who knows!
“ Real life baseball” 🧐 It’s this level of inattention to detail and divorce from reality that helps explain and unfortunately confirms that said organization will likely be looking longingly upward at their competition for a painful period.
I pretty much agree with your and John’s sentiments. Angry, weary, sad, and ready to [up]chuck.
This was to be the Twins chance (nothing guaranteed of course) to possibly have the best AL regular season record and have home-field advantage should they gain the playoffs. (guarantee disclaimer here, too). Such position would provide aid in their quest to avoid still another sweep by the Bronx minions of Darkness. If their older imminent free agents aren’t on top of their games from the get-go, all becomes moot (or as they probably say in Charm City, mute).
As it is, hope the beer’s cold.
Will the team formerly from Toronto possibly now be the Buffalo Vagabonds? Birds of Passage (BOPs)?, Rovers?
I am certain that Gypsies would be disallowed. But I kind of like BOPS.
Good luck to your Twins. At least for the Orioles … there were no expectations this season. Still, I’ve sure missed those guys … those Oriole nobodies.
Thanks for putting into words all of our thoughts about the little bits of “normal” life we hang on to in this abnormal time.
I never thought I would crave “normal” … I never thought I would have to yearn for “normal.”
Baseball baseball baseball!! It’s going to be weird, like the whole no fans/shorten season thing. I watched part of the Mets/Yankees game last night and it was…different.
I feel bad for the Blue Jays; it’s like MLB forgot they have a team that resides in a completely different country.
MLB forgot that the Blue Jays were in Canada … or maybe they just didn’t care and couldn’t imagine that it would be deal. Canada saying “no” to the Blue Jays should be a great, big, giant warning flag.
It’s the not so real, wide wacky world of sports. And life.
Exactly!
I so agree with you. While I’m happy to hear my Yankees playing again, it just seems so odd with no fans in the stands . When my other favorite sport, hockey comes back next week, it’s gonna feel the same way with no fans. This year 2020 is straight out of the twilight zone.
I didn’t mind the artifical crowd noise in the background … it’s not intrusive and it helps to keep things from seeming so weirdly quiet. I still remember watching the Orioles “empty stadium game” in 2015 and the quiet was so peculiar. A little background noise I think will help. But, yup, you’re right … this is straight out of the Twilight Zone.
I remember that game also with no fans in Baltimore . I was in Baltimore for my annual Yankees and Orioles trip to Camden Yards. It was during the unrest in Baltimore. My friend and I had gone to mass at the cathedral like we always do when we come to B’more, and the priest told us to be careful walking back to our hotel and Lexington Market .
Austin Hays…hit like Mays, run like haze?
Not sure we’re at the “Major League”-quote point with Austin Hays. Yet.
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What we’re all experiencing is a loss of freedom. Most people don’t see the root causes. Decent people live one day at a time, work hard, then enjoy good times with family and friends. But every aspect of our lives are being regulated with a very real reason which is not good. Freedom is within, even when things are difficult. But tomorrow will be determined by what we do today.
It’s like that old adage … “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I wish everyone understood what that means.
Very true. As a teacher, I understood one day at a time. What we do today makes a huge difference in the long run.
Good