Lucas Gebhart
Sports Editor
@IdahoSportsLG
Opening Day is one of the greatest days of the year. It means that summer is just around the corner and we all get to enjoy America’s pastime in a leisurely manner that cannot be fully described in words.
But I’ll try.
When baseball rolls around, we all get to take a break from our stressful lives to watch the most relaxing, blissful game this planet has to offer.
There is just something about sitting in the grandstands of a baseball park with a bratwurst in your hand that is loaded with ketchup, relish and onions, while watching two teams casually take part in a game that is still somehow competitive.
There is no better feeling in the world then when you first walk into a ballpark and see this magical wonderland that seems almost too perfect; as if was made by God himself.
You hear the murmur of the crowd, weaving your way through hordes of people to find your seat while the fresh summer air moisturizes your skin, at the perfect temperature.
The slap of the catcher’s glove, the crack of the bat, the confident grunts of the umpires; is there a better way to spend a summer evening?
Yeah, baseball is slow, but that’s the way I like it. It is a nice break for the intensity of football games and other sports where your heart rate never seems to slow.
It is a little slower, a little more causal, a little less intense, yet it still finds that perfect combination of competitiveness and casualness that makes for the perfect family outing.
The players take the game very seriously, but you would never know it by watching.
Win or lose, you cannot help but smile while watching this game, and how many other sports can say that?
My beloved Colorado Rockies consistently lose 90-100 games a year, but I still cannot wait to see those purple pinstripes take the field at my favorite ballpark, in my favorite city.
I have watched my favorite players get traded from this loveable loser for prospects that rarely pan out. These are players that I seem to have a personal relationship with, despite the fact that I have never met them in person.
I have seen the remaining players walk away for better offers and seen this dreadful front office refuse to give money to players that will only make fans like myself enjoy the unknown thrills of a winning baseball team.
Why I come back to watch this team year after year is simple. Despite the knowledge that this will be another lost season, I love baseball and I love the Colorado Rockies. I know the team is borderline terrible, but I still don’t seem to care.
Win or lose, I will always be able to name the exact batting order and which pitcher they will bring out of the bullpen in certain situations, and yet still be able to retain hope for next season because baseball is just that perfect.
