Opening Day - 2010

Today is "Opening Day" in major league baseball. I have always been a big baseball fan. I see the game as much more strategic than it is athletic... although one must be an athlete to play. The actual season started this evening with a game between the Yankees and Red Sox. Baseball is a lot like the Catholic faith. Most people are just fans of whatever local team they live near, go to games, watch games, and look at the bottom line: wins and losses. There is also a baseball "elite" as some where I come from like to refer to such people. These are the people that treat the game like a... well... religion. I am somewhere in between. I am not smart enough, nor jaded enough to be part of the elite, but I do like to learn all the little intricacies about the game. This is especially true during September and October when debates flare up regarding who and how to pitch to a lefty that is hitting great at night against righty fast-ballers. 

As a former Michigan boy, I grew up loving the Tigers. I was 5 years old the last time they won the World Series. The 80's were great for the Tigers, and the early 90's rode on those coat-tails. Unfortunately things took a horrible turn. During the mid and late 90's they were awful, so I needed a team to actually root for. Derek Jeter was from Michigan, and seemed like as good as guy as any to root for, and so I became a Yankees fan, to the disgust of my father and most everyone else in Detroit. Then they started winning and the Tigers losing even more, so the Yankees were my replacement team. 

Now that the Tigers are good again, I am a split personality fan. The Tigers are my number 1 and the Yankees are a number 2. This became even harder last year when the Tigers were fighting to get in and the Yankees were doing so well. Yes, I own a hat for both teams. Well... this problem got even harder this winter when Curtis Granderson was traded to the Yankees. He was "my tiger." He is a great guy, great in the community, played one of the positions I played, and was just a great ambassador for the game. 

So... we will see how things develop this year. I will most likely remain a two and a half team man. What is the 1/2 you ask? Well, there is an old debate in baseball between the National and American leagues. I won't get into the history, you can look it up if need be, but the short of it is that the National League has its pitchers hit, and the American League uses designated hitters. NL fans say that the AL is a "junior league" an historical reference to when the leagues came about, but also to the fact that we use the DH, designated hitter. They claim the AL isn't pure, that it's all about hitting, and there is no strategy. They claim that all the AL does is go up to bat and try and hit home runs. NO steals, bunts, or strategy ever come into play. I dont believe this... but I wont get too into that. Needless to say, when I spent a summer out in California I lived with a die hard NL family. They were Giants fans. The Giants were my NL team growing up because my grandparents vacationed where they had their spring training and would always bring me back balls and hats. They also play in San Fran where my cousins and other family live. So... even though they are an NL team, I still like to pull for them. Even though they would lose in the series to whomever they play :)

I won't bore you too much with the day to day, but I will probably update anything major. Also.. April is a big time, at least in Detroit. The Tigers start up again, and it is a big baseball town. Plus, the Wings are almost always in the Playoffs - as they are again this year. Plus, April is when the weather really starts to break in Michigan, along the the NFL draft. So it is a pretty big sports time for the state.

I unfortunately don't have the money to get the NHL or MLB packages because we have CABLE. Alaska is weird with their internet, so we had to get cable and not dish. Either way, I cant afford the channels to watch hockey or baseball... so I need to find some other way to do it. If only I could get someone with a Sling-box to help me out. 

So... in order this is whom I root for:

1. 

2. 

2.5: 

Acting, Baseball, Hockey and Our Youth...

Today, I went with my parishes Youth Group to a hockey game. Unfortunately it wasn't the Red Wings, but it was fun to at least get out to a hockey game.

Anyway, before the game there was a youth rally the Diocese sponsored. The Bishop - a really great guy from Philadelphia - came to speak to the kids and told us about something he noticed while watching baseball games. Acting.

You see, if you watch closely, you will see many baseball players go through a little routine before stepping to the plate, and even in between pitches. Now, although every player has a different routine that they do, be it checking their distance from the plate, adjusting their batting gloves, spitting, kicking dirt, or checking their bat for cracks there is one little routine a lot of players have in common. The sign of the cross.

What's interesting about (some of) those players, is that they like to make sure that people see them bless themselves. They then step up to the plate, maybe swing a few times, let a few balls go by, then hit the ball. They run down to first base as the ball is picked up and hurled over to the bag; it's a close play; and the batter is out. Well, what's the first thing that that player usually does? Goes over to the umpire, gets in his face, and argues. Using some...chioce words. And of course you can see exactly what they are saying. All this after they just got done letting the world know they "believe and follow Christ." So now we have to wonder what the point of blessing themselves was? Was it a true act of faith, or some sort of act that benefits them professionally?

The point of the story was that far too many of our youth (and adults!) act like Christians when it may benefit them. Now, you have to remember (and this was part of the Bishops point) that it isn't necessarily that people are hypocrites, or bad people, just not perfect. Like those baseball players (indeed, not just baseball, but many sports players) we as Catholic adults need to make sure that we are setting a good example for our youth by living out our faith in all that we do, and not "follow the crowd."

We need to make sure that our faith is not something that we show only when it is convenient, or beneficial to us, but rather the opposite. We must show our faith when it is difficult and non-conforming to the norm. Luckily, it isn't hard to see some of the fruits of good Catholics, and the way they live out their faith.

This weekend, my parish is sending over 40(!) youth to Washington, D.C. to walk in the March For Life. Certainly, in today's Culture of Death, standing up in front of your nation for the unborn is very uncomfortable and hard. I know that our youth face ridicule even in their circle of friends for taking a stand for life. So I just want to acknowledge all youth who, unlike many athletes, live their faith when it is difficult and hard to do. Please keep all those traveling to D.C. this weekend, and the unborn in your prayers that they may inspire a Nation to heed the call of Christ and do what is not easy, but what is necessary.

-Posted by: Brian