Opening Day

Well tonight the first game of the 2005 baseball season began.

For those of you who might not know I became a big baseball fan last year. Growing up Indiana we never had a baseball team. And even though I played T-ball and Little League when I was really young the sport never interested me much. Even after I moved to LA where the historic Dodgers play I wasn't all that attracted to the sport.

Then three years ago the Angels won the World Series. When a hometown team wins a championship it will make you pretty enthusiastic. (This is how I became a Lakers fan. After years of watching the Pacers get so close yet so far it was really nice to see everyone in the city excited about a ball team and happy about winning a championship ... although whenever the Lakers play the blue and gold I'm always rooting for the Pacers). But even that wasn't enough to get me really interested in baseball.

This is what did it. Last year Carrie got me tickets to a Dodgers game for my birthday. Great gift! We went to the stadium and it was simply fantastic. They were playing the Cubs, Sammy Sosa was there. And then in the 7th inning Dodgers 2B Alex Cora fouled off fourteen consecutive balls. CONSECUTIVE! The pitch count was at 18 and on the last pitch he knocked it right out of the park. The stadium went crazy. One of the most exciting sports moments I've ever witnessed. I was hooked after that. I went to two more games and have been a Dodgers fan ever since. They won their division and made it to the playoffs, a feat nobody thought they'd accomplish at the beginning of the season.

Of course now the Dodgers have gone the way of the Lakers. Just like Lakers ownership traded Shaq, ran Phil Jackson out of town, and ended a true basketball destiny, Dodgers ownership traded away and didn't bother to resign a majority of the scrappy, over-achieving team of last year that won their fans' hearts by showing so much character. Let's hope their season is not as painful as the Lakers.'

And while I'm talking about sports let me just add that my soul will be saddened to see Reggie Miller retire at the end of this season. He is without a doubt one of the most exciting basketball players to ever grace the courts of the NBA. And as the Pacers team has been decimated by injury and the terrible fan-incited riot in Detroit (whoo, don't get me started on that!), Reggie has stepped up to the plate and is playing like the #31 of 10 years ago. He's simply phenomenal and I believe he has some good basketball left in him. But if he thinks it's time to hang up the sneakers then that's what he should do. I just think it's a tragedy that Reggie will never be able to bring Indiana the World Championship is so richly deserves.