Never say never

"The Catch" by Willie Mays, 1954 World Series

My oh my, it’s come around again. I suppose, deep inside, I never truly doubted that it would. It’s like an irregular but inevitable comet returning to the solar system. What am I talking about? In a word: BASEBALL. Since childhood, I’ve had years of total engagement with Major League Baseball (and my San Francisco Giants—and my Seattle Mariners in the 1990s), alternating with years of total disinterest. Reignition of the flame happens with little warning. After nearly a decade “on” (and three San Francisco World Series titles) my passion for the game completely disappeared with “pandemic baseball” in 2020. Cardboard cutouts standing in for fans at stadiums and the disappearance of the batting pitcher (i.e., switching to the designated hitter rule) in the National League were two aspects I had little stomach for. My head went elsewhere and MLB assumed total irrelevance in my life.

Five years later, I should have had a premonition—an inkling at least—of enthusiasm returning, but I didn’t. It started innocently enough: I watched the first two episodes of Ken Burns’ Baseball documentary series (1994) over the last four days. It was like a virus snuck in. A sneaky, fast-acting virus! I didn’t realize how serious the situation was until last night when I found myself shelling out $30 for the MLB Off-Season Package, which lets me watch or listen to any game played during 2023 and 2024—as well as this year’s spring training games (February 20 to March 25).

Before I went to bed, I watched the Giants 2023 season opener in Yankee Stadium and totally enjoyed myself—though they lost 5-0. I found myself not minding the rule changes I’d been snarling about: pitch clock, limit of two pick-off attempts per at-bat, etc. I’m even okay with the universal DH, and I’m pretty sure I’ll get used to the most egregious change: starting a runner on second during extra innings. If you’d asked me even as late as last year, I’d probably have said “I’m DONE with baseball—for good!” Well, how does that adage go? “Never say never!”