If there’s anything that baseball fans can agree on, it’s that we hate the Yankees, and we love Opening Day. It’s magical, and you don’t even need to be in the stands to feel the excitement. As a diehard Oakland Athletics fan, I’ve had a countdown timer on my phone for months in anticipation for today. They were supposed to play the Astros, and it was going to be especially exciting because it would be the Astros’ first road game after their sign stealing scandal.
Because of self isolation and quarantine, there’s no telling when we’re going to get baseball back. There’s not a lot to do in the meantime while we wait, other than appreciate what we’ve had before. It’s time to remember why we fell in love in love with baseball in the first place.
You can think back to that first game on ESPN that made you a fan. When you went to your first stadium and how you felt as you passed through those gates. Feeling the comradery with fellow fans wearing the same jersey. The excitement of the first pitch, and cheers of the first hit. Feeling the adrenaline of a Cinderella story. Losing your voice from expressing excitement.
People fall in love with sports for a lot of the same reasons they fall in love with other people. Sports are our connection to where we’re from, our passion, and our happiness. Even though times are difficult right now without sports in our lives, we know those ballpark days are going to be here again soon enough.