Signs of the Times

March 1st, 2009

March 01, 2009 — Perhaps it’s just me, however it seems as though the tone of baseball news coverage these days is considerably more angry and self-righteous than is warranted by the presented “facts.” Thankfully, things have settled down this week. However, as has been pointed out at my pal Jimmy’s place, what baseball website hasn’t raged about PEDs, with A-Rod as the “Villain of the Month?” (I could have sworn only last month it was all about The Rocket.) Or debated the ethics of clubhouse tell-alls, with Joe Torre/Tom Verducci heading this season’s lineup of tabloids? (Neatly bookended by a minor league preview by Matt McCarthy, and hot on their heels, Selena Roberts.)

[There, that little paragraph ought to put me at the top of the Google search list for a day!]

To me, at any rate, the bilious output by the sports media world seems to reflect the shocked and frightened collective psyche of a nation currently facing hard times and pondering an immediate future that looks to get considerably harder before it gets easier.

Anger and frustration are normal reactions to the kind of fear that comes with loss of control. I’m certainly no different. I, as much as any other middle-class mortal, also struggle with the uncertainty of my financial future. I too, get that sinking feeling in my gut when I look at my bank account and note how I brought in 500% less income this January than the same month two years ago.

Likewise, I recognize the appeal of venting my frustrations on someone who is so distant and untouchable that there is little chance of my inadvertently inducing collateral damage within my social circle of friends. I could easily craft a witty and cutting indictment of the latest “steroid-using cheater” and post it (with hyperlink to my site) to a Top 50 MLBlog. I’d no doubt get sympathy and support, and perhaps even a few new Facebook friends. Were I to post such judgments here, it would certainly help boost SEO traffic to this remote little outpost in the blogosphere.

Except I just can’t do it. Not because I don’t grieve over the incredible damages caused by the use of illegal substances in sport. Not because I have some Pollyanna wish to ignore the ugliness until it fades away.  The main point for this whole blogging thing was to share my thoughts, for better or worse. And one of the first thoughts I begin with, as I sit down to compose a post is, “Is this the only thing there is to write about today?” Closely followed by, “Will I still like what I wrote in a month? In a year?”

I believe the mind to be a wellspring of inspiration and creativity. Better yet, ideas are one of the few things in life I can give away for free and use to build cash value into my professional portfolio. I have a fundamental distaste for reactionary writing (either as cause or effect). On the other hand, I’m hopelessly enchanted by stories that endure. The story about Scot Shields happened nearly eight years ago. I wrote it last season and just happened to run out of Sundays to post it, which is how it languished “in-the-hole” until just last week. I’m biased, however, I still think it’s a great story. Midre Cummings, another sentimental favorite, happened during the franchise days of the Minnesota Twins. Doug Glanville recently penned two wonderfully candid columns about the current media maelstrom over PEDs, offering his experiences of what it’s like to be on the other side of the looking glass. I believe his cautionary tales have the long-distance legs to inspire meaningful discussions 10 years from today, or even 50.

That is why what you see here usually ends up being something that won’t make or break any preconceptions about the way the game is played. Nor will it likely change the prevailing views expressed at plenty of other discussion boards. Nor do I expect to somehow leave behind my distinctive and immortal mark on baseball history. That I refer to the world of athletics comes from my own investment into a life philosophy built on the framework of developmental athletics, which is to say I view sports as a tool for personal growth rather than a form of social entertainment. That I look through the lens of baseball is likewise an easy choice. I like metaphors and analogies, and baseball offers a wealth of storytelling opportunities.

In short, what I hope to achieve is part storytelling, part thought experiment and part sharing our human experience. And there you have it. Yours in peace and hope. . .Bye for now!

Entry Filed under: Game of Life,Major League Baseball,Minor Leagues