Spring Training

Well, the time has come again for my favorite smell:
Freshly cut grass.

Baseball is officially starting up this week with Spring Training games! Pretty soon I will be sucked into the obsession of rooting for the best team in the Major Leagues again -- the Cleveland Indians -- hoping and praying that they will dominate their way into the playoffs this year. And for all of you who aren't paying much attention, they have a good chance. The bullpen has been filled up with veteran presence, the position players all have another year of experience under their belts, and the lineup is ready to flex its muscles as it was one of the top run-producing lineups in the majors last year.

However, the season of baseball is more than just hoping my favorite team will win the Series. It's about having faith in something outside myself. It's about experiencing emotional highs and lows when your team wins and loses. It's about being caught up with the details of hitting streaks, records, and statistics. It's about the beauty of catching a line drive while being parallel to the ground. It's about gathering with friends and family to experience and catch up on life. It's about memories. It's about relaxing at times, and jumping up and down at times. It's about hearing the crack of the bat. It's about hearing the ball slam into the mitt. It's about hearing the crowd roar. It's about the rush of feeling like your heart will leap out of your chest when you put faith in your team to pull through to win.

Of course this type of faith that I am referring to is imperfect. I will not always feel good at the end of every ballgame. I will not always see a "W" next to our starting pitcher's name. I will not always be happy. That is life. That is what I love about baseball. It's like life. I like the fact that there is no instant replay. I like the fact that the umpires make mistakes. I like the idea of teamwork and support from your teammates. I like the fact that some innings are boring, and some are exciting. That's life. I like the fact that sometimes you get dirty, sometimes you get beaned in the head, and sometimes you make a mistake and get caught in a run-down. I love the fun.

I love the smell of freshly cut grass. It reminds me of life.

Photo taken from Indians.com