Spring is for sunshine, flowers, and baseball.
(c) By Kevin Dayhoff Sunday, April 12, 2009 (Art: "Baltimore Baseball" April 12, 1988 by Kevin Dayhoff)
Well, spring weather is about to make its debut in Maryland. I can’t wait for warmer weather. My first clue was last week. It was the beginning of baseball season.
I could tell for two reasons. One, the sports fan in my family, my wife, Miss Caroline, told me. She is already rearranging her schedule to listen to, or watch baseball.
Another sign occurred late last week at a stop light in Westminster. As I sat there with my New Jersey tollbooth collector thousand-mile stare pondering my schedule and wondering how I was going to manage to be in two places later on in the day; my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a steady stream of profanities.
I just assumed it was the usual Westminster Main Street regulars. As I slunk down in my seat ever so slightly, a well-dressed woman in the car next to me caught my eye.
Actually, she caught my ear. Lo and behold, next to me, in a newer model luxury automobile was a rather sophisticated-looking lady with the baseball game on the radio turned up loudly.
And she was swearing-up a storm about the current abilities of the Baltimore Oriole pitchers. Unfortunately the light changed before I could grab my camera and catch an instant YouTube hit…
Now that I think about it. If spring is for sunshine, flowers, and baseball; then this young lady was right in synch. She was after-all yelling at the top of her lungs, and using flowery language about how the pitcher could put the baseball where the sun does not shine.
Only she yelled it in a more colorful manner.
I’m a pathetic sports fan. Miss Caroline keeps me informed on the latest developments in the sports world so I don’t sound like a total dork when the conversation at a social event turns to sports.
Of course, Miss Caroline would prefer that I not sound like the “rather sophisticated-looking lady with the baseball game on the radio” at the stoplight in Westminster.
Next time you find yourself traveling through Westminster and you come upon an intersection and spot a light brown late model Mercedes – roll up your window. That is, unless you wish to hear some interesting and colorful ad-lib sportscasting… about how spring is for sunshine, flowers, and baseball.
Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at kevindayhoff AT gmail DOT com.
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I wrote this as I filed my Westminster Eagle column for Wednesday, April 15, 2009. In that column I write more about baseball and my three favorite all-time baseball moments. Look for it here,
http://www.explorecarroll.com/publications/we/ on Wednesday, April 15, 2009.
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/)