Opening Day

this day of all days on the calendar may be the single most important yearly event of our nation. in one form or another , with baseball , marching on side by side , we can measure our glory , our failures and our continual rebirth over the course of America’s history.

as far back as I can remember baseball has been a part of my life and just about everyone else I can think of. It seemed like my dad spent every moment of his day running me, my brothers and our friends to practice and games, not to mention coaching my brother Kevin’s ball team. with the highlight of the summer coming when we traveled to Fenway , Shea or Yankee Stadium to attend a game .in years that we were lucky we'd get to go twice and watch our heroes play.

not for the Civil war , 1929 , Hitler , Stalin , Korea or Nam did baseball stop. not until 9/11 did the game pause. an event that was to shock and stun to the point that the whole world stopped. but it was with baseball , that we as a nation , began the healing process and pulled ourselves back together. baseball is more then a game for Americans it’s an attitude.

opening day in the bleachers at the old Yankee Stadium was surreal. even after the game you were not quite sure it all really happened. there is not much in my life that I can think of that surpassed it. the birth of my son, the passing of my parents and grand parents and a few other things best left kept to myself. it's a day to remember and honor heroes from the game’s past , Ruth , Gehrig , DiMaggio , Robinson , Mays and my childhood hero, Mickey Mantle.

it's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing all your life.         
                              
                           Mickey Mantle

as complicated and difficult as the game is , anyone can play and have a good time , there is no clock, so there is no need to rush and play the game.there are no boundaries except those imposed upon ourselves. there is a fairness about the game that gives everyone an equal chance. the game is as much fun to watch and study as it is to play. most of all baseball is plain FUN.

I can think of nothing better then spending the day relaxing with family and friends , watching and listening to the sounds of children playing the game. it doesn’t matter if they run to the wrong bases or if they chase down a ball waiting for it to stop rolling before they pick it up , or that the family dog is playing shortstop. to hear the children laughing , running and having fun playing a game that we can all relate to on the same level , no matter what one's age , is truly special . and thru all the years for the rest of our life's , our experience together is the one topic that we can always share and talk about , with old and young alike , that brings tears of joy and laughter to everyone's heart and soul.

Baseball , I can’t imagine America without it.