I DID SOMETHING last night I haven't done in years - listened to a baseball game while sitting in the backyard by the fire.
It was a beautiful night, too nice to be sitting inside. So I went to the Dollar General and bought a $5 piece of crap radio. It works. I'm happy.
I found the Cubs game, lit the fire, grabbed a beverage and sat under the stars.
It. Was. Bliss.
In my youth I was a radio freak, listening to Blue Jays, Expos, Maple Leafs and Canadiens games, even on the French stations. When we moved to Michigan I fell asleep listening to Ernie Harwell and Paul Carey doing Tigers contests.
Last night, the Cubs were playing the Padres. I don't particularly care about either team, but Pat Hughes, the Cubs radio announcer, is one of the best around. He's understated and doesn't scream, he fills in the dead spots with timely info and he has a very sly and dry sense of humor.
Color guy Keith Moreland isn't bad, either. He asked Hughes if he ever Tweets, and Hughes said, "In the shower." Crooner or Sinatra? "Now you are getting personal," Hughes said. "Sinatra."
There's a very steady pace to baseball and I prefer to let the words paint the picture. In a world of instant access and 24 hours of steady nonsense, it's nice to let your mind wander and soak it all in, and make the determination for yourself.
I also love the sound of the ball hitting the mitt and the crack of the bat meeting the ball, and the crowd roaring.
It's supposed to rain for the next three days, and the Cubs are playing this afternoon. Rats ... I suppose I could suffer through a Cardinals game.
Well. I wouldn't go that far.
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