Despite the chilly weather, baseball is very much alive and kicking around these parts.
Although both Brandon and Goodrich are on Easter break as of press time, both teams kicked off their baseball season in fine fashion. The Blackhawks and Martians both started their seasons with opening-game losses, but have gone undefeated since then.
Both teams have gotten off to fast starts using the time-honored baseball tradition of good pitching, sound fundamentals, and timely hitting. Brandon’s Roy Reynolds, for the second straight year, has proven to be a reliable anchor for the Blackhawks? pitching staff, while for Goodrich, Max Bell has picked up where Michael McCormick and Kori Garman left off last year, assuming leadership of the Martians? staff.
A couple weeks ago, I went to a Brandon freshman baseball game to take on Powers Catholic. Nothing out of the ordinary, except our editor David Fleet’s son Sam is a second baseman for the Chargers? freshmen.
So, David and I, along with staff writer Teri Stiles and photographer Bob Flath, hung around the game for a bit, giving our commentary on the game and listening to other folks attending the game doing the same. That makes going to the game that much more enjoyable ? although it would have been a little more fun seeing Sam get a chance to play.
Another hidden pleasure is hanging around the Goodrich baseball field before the start of the Martians? varsity games. As the players are warming up, music blares through the loudspeaker. That seems like a little thing, but there’s nothing like listening to John Fogerty’s ‘Centerfield? before a baseball game.
The icing on the cake was listening to Abbott and Costello perform their legendary skit ‘Who’s on First.? I got a big laugh listening yet again to that skit ? and looking on during warmups, you could tell Goodrich coach Bob Foreback and the Martian players got a kick out of it as well.
For crying out loud, even the Tigers, after more than a decade of ineptitude, seem to be getting their act together. I watched the replay of the Tigers? Opening Day game against Minnesota April 8 on Fox Sports Detroit, and the crowd was fired up for the game from the opening pitch until the final out ? something not seen or heard around here in quite some time.
Fans in the Detroit area have been apathetic toward the Tigers in recent years, and understandably so ? the Tigers have not had a winning season in 1993. They want to see a major league product, especially since the cost of seeing a game increased since the move to Comerica Park. Just put a competitive team on the field, and Detroit fans will show their support.
Yes, the Pudge Rodriguez signing was huge in giving the Tigers a marquee player to market and build around. However, other offseason acquisitions, most notably Rondell White, Carlos Guillen, and Fernando Vina, have paid off well in the early going. In addition, youngsters like Carlos Pena, Eric Munson, and Jeremy Bonderman are showing signs of progress.
I haven’t attended a Tigers game since 2001 because I didn’t want to pay major league prices for a minor league product. That’s going to change this year.