Lucky 13

That photo pretty much sums up how I feel about baseball. I love it. Not unapologetically, but I think it's quite tops. And while I am a big Yankees fan, I'm not here to defend Alex Rodriguez. Truth be told, I'm not a fan. He's arguably quite talented, but along with his inability to perform in the post-season...he just seems so...dim. It's true that many/most athletes are not renowned scholars, but he just seems to be especially slow-witted. So, get rid of him, make him play for nothing, fine him and give all the cash to a far-needier charity than the A-Rod fund...it's all okay by me. I don't think the Yankees need him to be successful - they've bought enough championships without him. I do think he seemed to be genuinely apologetic and emotional during his various meetings with the press - if that counts for anything.

People do go on about how this [the steroid problem, not just Rodriguez] is a huge blight on the wondrousness of baseball. The thing is - all sports, all forms of entertainment even, have had scandal. But I feel as though people thought baseball was this pure thing, the great American pastime - that it scandal dare not deign to touch it. The thing is - baseball has always had certain unpleasantness - drug abuse, athletes of dubious moral character, racism...all of it. But, like the country that loves it so [or it's supposed to - personally I think America likes NFL a lot more] - baseball has overcome. Colin Powell was being interviewed the other day and he mentioned Jackie Robinson as one of his childhood heroes - sports [and other forms of entertainment] has been a leader in reconciling differences, making up for wrongs and unifying people. So really, while the steroid thing is pretty crummy, I don't think it will take down baseball like Nixon.

I'm watching On The Waterfront right now and I'm feeling very Terry Molloy - deaf and dumb - about the whole baseball thing. I just want baseball to be okay so I can go on adoring it without guilt. Scandal and stupidity is one reason I don't learn much about athletes I do like [there *are* a few]. And while baseball may not serve any super fantastically groundbreaking role in my life - it both calms me down and riles me up - it's my ying and my yang. And I wish it was April already.