Since the start of the NBA playoffs has already been covered
in depth by my co-writers (and the fact that I’ve missed every game because a
move to a new house took away my TV, internet, and running water), I thought I’d
dedicate today’s column to America’s pastime. My apologies for completely
neglecting Opening Day – I’m going to make it up to you by sharing the top 5
(extremely objective, of course) traditions that make baseball great. And if you're lucky, I might throw in some of my experiences from Orioles games for good measure.
5. The First Pitch
This mainly applies to your team's home opener, even if it's not the first game of the season. You might have been there for such a game - the team runs out to the roar of the crowd, the pitcher tosses a couple more just for good measure, and the crowd turns from an excited chatter to a low murmur of excitement. There's a buzz, a feeling of electricity in the ballpark, and that goes double if you have an ace pitcher on your staff. The other team's leadoff batter is almost NEVER swinging at the first pitch of the season, so your pitcher has no excuse but to zip one down the middle. STEEEEEE-RIIIIIIIIIIKEEEEEEE. Awesome. After the fact, it feels a little anticlimactic, but the buildup to the first pitch is truly great. Here's an example:
Oh wait, that was John Wall throwing out the worst first pitch ever. Here's what I mean:
