Baseball Offseason: What Are Fans To Do?
Ways For the Major League Faithful to Cope After a Long Season
Nov 3, 2008
Now that the season is over, how will baseball fans occupy themselves over the winter while waiting for that glorious day in February when pitchers and catchers report?
Baseball fans are creatures of habit, and they need ways to stay connected to the game during the three and a half months when the public (and most major media) become enraptured with football, basketball and American Idol Rewind. Here are some suggestions:
In daily life
- Spitting and crotch-grabbing allowed. The best -- and likely the only – time for this is in the shower. But you might be able to get away with it while cleaning the rain gutters or raking leaves (don’t forget to ice the shoulder when you’re done).
- Casual Friday. While your co-workers bask in the glory of their favorite Levi’s, watch heads turn as you strut by in your ball cap, eye-black and spikes (caution: steer clear of hardwood and tile floors).
- A new family meal tradition. Watch with pride as your wife and kids reluctantly rise at the playing of the national anthem every night before dinner and then stretch and sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” before dessert.
- Signaling your local restaurant server. This is a sensitive area -- make sure you have a good rapport with these “players” before implementing a system (wouldn’t want the waiter to misread the “extra napkins” sign as an obscene gesture and have that chicken Caesar end up in your lap). In any case, make it simple, and always change the indicator.
On the tube
- The “other” sports. Football, hockey and basketball are the logical alternatives. Looking for something more closely resembling baseball? Let’s see, there’s beer-league softball, cricket and the Arizona Fall League. Good luck finding those channels.
- The Kevin Costner Trilogy. The big three baseball DVDs – Bull Durham, Field of Dreams and For Love of the Game -- never steer you wrong, and despite Costner’s obvious acting flaws, nobody pulls off the ballplayer character as he does.
- Vintage video game fix. Try (for the 12th consecutive November) to get that Sega Genesis system running again so you can replay Joe Carter’s World Series-winning homer off Mitch Williams on RBI Baseball ’93. Do this, and your friends will bow in your presence.
Pass the time
- Plan that cross-country ballpark trip. Who cares that attending a game at all 30 major league venues in one season is a logistical nightmare, would ruin you financially and likely won’t ever happen because of those silly little things called family and work? Don’t let minor details get in the way of your dream.
- Build a mini ballpark. This could take some creative (and mechanical) savvy, so don’t get too excited. Fenway Park and Wrigley Field are popular models, but to make things easier, you may want to go vintage cookie-cutter – say Veterans Stadium.
- Reorganize the card collection. This year, be bold – sort them by player weight, from lightest to heaviest (prediction: C.C. Sabathia and Bartolo Colon in a dead heat for last card standing).
- Relive the 2008 season through the boxscores. You saved every sports section from spring training until the World Series clincher for a reason, right? Well, this is it. Enjoy.
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