Baseball '09: Intermission For Reflection
So before the baseball season started, I set in motion a plan to watch one baseball game live, every month of the season, April through September, with October an afterthought, as the regular season barely touches that month and the playoffs seeming a dim possibility, not only in terms of Oakland or San Francisco's chances of qualifying, but also in terms of my chances of affording a playoff ticket.
Three months down, and I'm on track so far. In April I saw Oakland host Boston, in a chilly night that went to extra innings, forcing me to miss the end, which injected a sense of foreboding into this whole project of one game a month, if I couldn't even finish the first game. But then I also went to AT & T Park to see the Giants fall to the Diamondbacks on a beautiful sunny day. In May, I exploited work's free tickets to see the Giants put together a solid, satisfying-in-every-way victory over Atlanta. June I was slightly concerned about, until I bought tickets to a Giants-Rangers game for Sunday the 21st, and then Vaughn generously provided me a ticket to tonight's Oakland-Minnesota game. More on that game in a post tomorrow or Friday, concerning a trilogy of baseball experiences this week.
So, July, August, September. These stand in the way of crafting some sort of narrative by themed experience. You wouldn't think it would be too difficult, but July is looming as problematic, at least in terms of the Giants' schedule. Their first homestand of July coincides with the trip to Hawaii. They play at home again in the final week of the month, but the Friday night game is the night before Marina's birthday, and I wouldn't want to miss whatever celebration was planned. (Italics for the benefit of Marina or any of her friends who might be reading this).
This may require returning again to Oakland in July. I have my reservations about the Coliseum, and the Giants would be my first choice as a general rule, but some sacrifices are necessary for the greater good. I thought briefly about whether or not I should retroactively modify the terms of the project, as having a couple of extra games in hand might take all the pressure off; but no, there will be no backsliding. There's no backsliding in baseball.
Who am I kidding? I love watching the A's play. Baseball is baseball in any stadium. Plus, the beer and pretzels are cheaper over in the East Bay.
Interestingly, from such an apparently-trivial project, I am learning on a fundamental level how much I enjoy writing about sports. Most people can write more profoundly than I can on politics or religion, though I enjoy writing about those as well. Most people can write at least as well I can on relationships and introspection. And whil I wouldn't claim any superiority in my sports writing, I feel a pure satisfaction from writing about sports that I don't always feel about my other writing. Sports excite me, plain and simple, and provide a suitable framework.
One thing I'm considering is whether to create a separate blog, just for sports, just to create something more focused, because isn't that the path to finding a voice?
Three months down, and I'm on track so far. In April I saw Oakland host Boston, in a chilly night that went to extra innings, forcing me to miss the end, which injected a sense of foreboding into this whole project of one game a month, if I couldn't even finish the first game. But then I also went to AT & T Park to see the Giants fall to the Diamondbacks on a beautiful sunny day. In May, I exploited work's free tickets to see the Giants put together a solid, satisfying-in-every-way victory over Atlanta. June I was slightly concerned about, until I bought tickets to a Giants-Rangers game for Sunday the 21st, and then Vaughn generously provided me a ticket to tonight's Oakland-Minnesota game. More on that game in a post tomorrow or Friday, concerning a trilogy of baseball experiences this week.
So, July, August, September. These stand in the way of crafting some sort of narrative by themed experience. You wouldn't think it would be too difficult, but July is looming as problematic, at least in terms of the Giants' schedule. Their first homestand of July coincides with the trip to Hawaii. They play at home again in the final week of the month, but the Friday night game is the night before Marina's birthday, and I wouldn't want to miss whatever celebration was planned. (Italics for the benefit of Marina or any of her friends who might be reading this).
This may require returning again to Oakland in July. I have my reservations about the Coliseum, and the Giants would be my first choice as a general rule, but some sacrifices are necessary for the greater good. I thought briefly about whether or not I should retroactively modify the terms of the project, as having a couple of extra games in hand might take all the pressure off; but no, there will be no backsliding. There's no backsliding in baseball.
Who am I kidding? I love watching the A's play. Baseball is baseball in any stadium. Plus, the beer and pretzels are cheaper over in the East Bay.
Interestingly, from such an apparently-trivial project, I am learning on a fundamental level how much I enjoy writing about sports. Most people can write more profoundly than I can on politics or religion, though I enjoy writing about those as well. Most people can write at least as well I can on relationships and introspection. And whil I wouldn't claim any superiority in my sports writing, I feel a pure satisfaction from writing about sports that I don't always feel about my other writing. Sports excite me, plain and simple, and provide a suitable framework.
One thing I'm considering is whether to create a separate blog, just for sports, just to create something more focused, because isn't that the path to finding a voice?
posted by Devin at 7:57 PM
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