Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Maybe the Rays can move here

^
Spring training has barely begun and I already can tell I'm going to miss baseball.

Charlotte only kind of has a Triple-A team -- the Knights actually play across the South Carolina border in Fort Mill -- and the nearest big-league ball is 4 hours away in Atlanta. Ugh.

Though I'm neither a Cubs fan nor a White Sox fan, there was something special about being in Chicago for the baseball season. Just about every day for six months, one team plays a home game in front of tens of thousands of fans. And pretty much every day, not just one but two ballgames are on local TV.

Then there's the fun banter -- and not-so-good-natured ribbing -- when it comes to the Cubs-Sox rivalry, especially in the days surrounding the two teams' regular-season meetings.

I'll miss it all. I'm already missing it. This is the first February since 1994 that I won't have spent any of spring training in Arizona ... and it just feels weird.

Charlotte is growing on me. It's a nice place with good people and many wonderful attributes. I'm not running back to Chicago any time soon; in fact, Roberta and I just bought a house.

Still, although I'll be able to watch baseball on the tube every day of the week, I know it won't be the same as living in a real baseball town.

Those of you who do know exactly what I mean.
^

4 comments:

  1. i feel for you buddy...first baseball i ever caught was in new orleans at a zephyr game...it was a thrill...

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  2. You bet. I was wondering if you'd be missing BB. I am sure you can fnd some minor league teams to follow in NC before the regular MLB season starts. You can then tell us your accouts of players to be on the look-out for.

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  3. Hmmm ... doesn't sound like there's a lot of money for me in that proposal of yours, Mike!

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  4. And Chicago misses the Nadel's.... Congrats on the new house! Have to deliver Girl Scout cookies to Darcia - we may go to O'Donovan's for burger night tomorrow! Have fun moving into your new house - post some pics on FB!

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