I’m Going Insane Without Baseball!
It’s January 19th – not too much longer until pitchers and catchers report – but it FEELS like forever. Unless you’re a Mariners fan celebrating the long-term signing of King Felix or a Rockies fan cheering for the deal with Huston Street or a Giants fan getting excited about Bengie Molina, there’s NOTHING to do today except:
– Think about how the Yankees still need a left fielder. (Already did that.)
– Buy spring training tickets. (Already did that.)
– Check out what various bloggers have to say about the Yankees. (Already did that.)
– Contemplate the fact that A-Rod does better in odd years than even ones. (Already did that.)
– Support friends who root for the Jets. (Already did that.)
– Make a donation to the rescue efforts in Haiti. (Already did that.)
– Suggest to my husband that we adopt a Haitian orphan. (Already did that. He said no.)
– Cook something amazing for dinner. (Already did that. We’re having chicken in wine sauce.)
– Rehearse what I’m going to say at my event at Borders tomorrow night. (Already did that. It’s supposed to pour for the 4th day in a row, so who knows if anyone will show up.)
– Write a blog post for tonight. (Just did that. Sorry it’s not very interesting.)
– Try to snap out of my no-baseball funk. (All ideas for accomplishing this are much appreciated.)
– Watch a movie about a woman crazier than I am right now. (In progress.)
Confessions of a She-Fan 
Hi Jane, here’s my list:
Watching (again) Ken Burns’ History of Baseball–all 23 hours.
Thinking about which Yankee I would actually send a fan letter to–and what I would say.
Writing to the Commissioner of Baseball and sending along all of our advice on how to improve baseball.
Planning vacations which include seeing the Yankees play away (i.e. Cleveland, Baltimore and Chicago).
Watching Yankee classics on YES .
Plotting my space on lower Broadway for the 2010 World Series parade.
Wondering if any one actually understands free agents, salary arbitration and the arcane rules of off-season. baseball.
get into hockey or become a Red Sox fan and deal with a GM who does not understand how much home runs help and watch as he tears a good offense apart and makes it crappy. Lots to post there trust me, or you could just watch the Yankees postseason over again. For you it might be fun.
LOL when i checked in on your blog to see what tonight’s entry was about – i saw the title + the picture very funny 🙂
That’s an excellent list, jes! I’ve already done some of your items but, alas, I don’t get YES here in California except for the games themselves so I can’t watch Yankees classics. Bummer!
I used to be into hockey when I lived in NY, Lorcan. I rooted for the Rangers. But I’ve gotten out of the habit since I moved to California. Maybe I should pick it back up again. I don’t think becoming a Red Sox fan is in the cards. 🙂
Always happy to make you smile, levelboss. A belated Happy New Year, by the way!
Baseballl is taking too loooooooong to get heeeereeeeeeeeeeee….. make it get here sooner pleaseeeee…
I agree with youuuuuuuuu, Lilleeeeeeee. LOL!
too bad Jane you would have made a great Red Sox fan. Just kidding your fine where you are for real though being without baseball is easy. Bruins look like they’ll be in the playoffs, Celts are sucking right now, but KG will be back he’ll help big time, and by the end of that the Sox will be getting ready for the opener against your Yanks. I’m not a woman so I have no advice other then as a catholic just pray that time goes faster.
that was me whining.. hahahahhahaha Panamanian Major League Baseball should be starting soon, it’s not the same. People support the teams because the are from that province (state) and many don’t know the rules of baseball… but that makes the games very entertaining, though!
Ahh yes, good old fashioned baseball withdrawals. Sorry they’re hitting you a little hard this year. I usually get by on Hockey but my Rangers have a couple of holes in their Blueshirts. Winter league baseball is how i do it. A lot of players participate, the leagues are winding up their playoffs and the 2010 Carribean Series is right around the corner. It’s not for everyone…but it’s something. Takes me right into spring training. Just curious…do you like the Baseball Classic? mike
http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.mlblogs.com/
http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.blogspot.com/
ARGHHHHH, it is taking too long! It seems like the last few weeks are an eternity! So what are you speaking about at Borders??
http://catlovesthedodgers.mlblogs.com
http://www.ultimateyankees.com/
http://baberuth.com/index_flash.html
http://generationthird.com/2009/10/26/a-look-back-at-the-yankees-40-al-pennant-winning-seasons/
you’d enjoy these sites I bet. I look at these mostly when I need to do a fact check on a Yankee comment (I’m a Red Sox fan, but when I am going to make a comment about the Yankees there will be 100% facts to back it up). Enjoy and have a nice day, Jane.
I don’t know why people think it takes too long Spring Training is just about here. One month is all it takes maybe try something new on the blog or something figure out something. Or you could just write another book which as an author you could. Anyways have a nice day Jane and have a nice day all Yankee, Red Sox, and baseball fans may your prayers go to Hati.
http://lorcanmccormick.mlblogs.com/
Hey…ya know what ya could do (if ya haven’t already)…? Yesterday morning, I got a reminder e-mail from Baseballisms.com — youse guys may/not know — they encourage EVERYONE to recall a special PERSONAL moment about baseball that they love(d)…your first glove, your favorite team, that ballgame with Uncle Bob, the catch you made in right field in 7th Grade…whatever…and share it with everybody. PLUS…(here comes the plug)…this week, they’re re-featuring Our She-Fan, and that half-hour November interview she did, about how she came to “write the book” — so go, one and all, if you haven’t yet, to that website, say at lunchtime, and have a Whole Lotta Fun (and NO WIRE HANGERS…!) GoodGodAlmighty, was that creepy…and to think, people used to say that my sister looked a lot like Faye Dunaway! YIKES…
Jane
here’s how baseball bored we are in Oklahoma…..
My neice and I see how many ways we can work Yankee jersey numbers into daily conversation.
For example, “Today is January ‘Posada’ and it’s ‘Swisher’ degrees outside.”
I know.
Sad.
It’s very sad.
Just under a month til Pitchers and catchers report…Thank Heaven!!
GIRARDI DAYS TIL PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT…
I know.
I need to get a life.
I’ll be better in Girardi days………
Wendy
I’m with ya in this lull of winter. blah. Though I couldn’t help but laugh when you equated signing King Felix long term w/ the signings of Huston Street (*ahem choke ahem*) and Bengie “Who You Callin’ Fat” Molina 🙂 One can hope anyway.
–Jeff
http://redstatebluestate.mlblogs.com/
http://mtrredstatebluestate.com
I’ve taken to watching “Hot Stove” and reruns of “Hot Stove” on MLB network. Sad, isn’t it?
Cheshirecat — THANK YOU for that tip on the Yogi article in the NY Times. We Yankee Fans outside NY environs don’t always naturally go (or have access) to That Paper — and the article IS a genuine treat, as is the man, always.
Okay…as long as the subject is Yogi…here’s a Yogi story from my week at the ’91 Mickey-Whitey Fantasy Camp…Yogi was managing the Mets, and one day he comes home after a day game, and tells his wife, “Carmine, ya won’t believe what happened at da ballpark today. In da 7th inning stretch, two fans jump out on the field, and dey ran across the outfield NAKED!!”
“Well,” Carmine asks, “were they boys, or were they girls?”
“How the hell should I know?” answered Yogi. “Dey both had BAGS over their heads!!”
Well this won’t kill too much time, but there is a great piece about Yogi in the NY Times today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/sports/baseball/20yogi.html?ref=sports
He is definitely one of the all time great Yankees.
It is boring with out baseball on. It wont be to long before spring training is here! I love spring training and the Home openers, it’s a great time.
http://clevelandbaseball.mlblogs.com/
I must not be the only one who misses baseball, judging by all the comments!
Lorcan, I’ve been taking your advice in two ways: I’m praying that time goes faster AND I’m writing another book. I’m about 1/3 of the way through a new novel and the lack of baseball has actually been a good thing because I can work on it without distractions. Thanks for the links to the sites.
Panamanian baseball sounds like fun, Lillie. You can pretend Mo is coming in to pitch and they’re playing Enter Sandman. LOL. Does he ever put in an appearance there, just for the heck of it?
Mike, I’m not a fan of the WBC. While I think it’s an interesting idea, the timing of it bothers me. There seem to be injuries related to it, and lots of organizations don’t want their best players participating. I can’t blame them. We all want our guys healthy to start the regular season.
I’m doing a free writer’s workshop tonight at Borders, Cat. I teach a six-week series with a writer friend and we call ourselves The Muse Madams. http://www.themusemadams.com. I really hope we get a lot of aspiring writers to come. We’re not bad teachers, if I do say so myself!
So Baseballisms is replaying my podcast, Dave? Thanks for letting me know. They have a great site with lots for the baseball lover to enjoy. Your sister could do worse than look like Faye Dunaway. Aside from that crazy role in “Mommie Dearest,” she’s a beautiful woman.
LOL, Wendy. You really are bored! I’ll have to try that game.
Well, I equated those deals, Jeff, only in the sense that they happened yesterday, as opposed to nothing happening in the rest of baseball. Yawn.
I watch “Hot Stove” sometimes, Ladyjane, but it comes on at dinner time when I’m watching Anderson Cooper. Such a conflict! And then on Tuesday nights I watch “Chopped” on the Food Network. I have no idea why.
Cheshirecat, I LOVED that article when I read it in the Times this morning. It made me smile. I mean, how cool is Yogi? I laughed at his story about the ducks in the Aflac commercials. He’s just such a treasure.
HAHAHAHA, Dave! Great Yogi story!!!!!
Oh, you’re so wrong about that, Paul. Michael is not a “kids person.” I’d be the one taking care of the precious little orphan. But he’s like, “That’s never happening.” So heartless….and practical!
The hardest part of addiction is the withdrawal.
Michael’s not interested in being Papa Michael? Probably because he knows who’d end up taking care of the child.
http://www.paullebowitz.com/
http://princeofny.blogspot.com/
Wacky order of comments once again. Sigh.
Yes, spring training is something to look forward to, 10indians. I can’t wait until I get to see the Yanks on March 16.
Look on the bright side Jane when finally baseball does come around you’ll open up with something great. A Red Sox/Yankee match-up. So in the end the wait will be worth it.
http://lorcanmccormick.mlblogs.com/
In the end though I think everybody is really pumped for the opener with the Sox and Yanks. Should be great and I think the AL West will be fun to watch this year with the M’s getting better.
http://lorcanmccormick.mlblogs.com/
Hmm, I’ll have to try that number game with Phillies numbers! 🙂 (OK, I’m checking the roster – got it!) Only Moyer days until I leave for Clearwater!
Hope your aren’t getting too soggy out there with all that rain.
Sue
Rants, Raves, and Random Thoughts
You picked up the gist of Wendy’s game perfectly, Sue. It’s kind of addictive when you start thinking about it.
This wait feels way too long, and I too can’t wait for baseball again.
http://bronx-awesome.mlblogs.com/
Lorcan, Yankees-Sox will be worth waiting for. What a way to open the season!
It does feel long, Babu. I guess it’s because Cashman made moves early in the winter and has been quiet since.
The offseason is really starting to get to me as well! Gosh, doesn’t it feel like forever until spring? Great post on beards yesterday, I just caught up with it today and it made me laugh out loud!
-Fenway Bleacher Creature
http://the3rs.mlblogs.com/
I am going insane without baseball. Only transactions, transactions, transactions. Getting boring! I didnt really have a checklist to start with but there are a few things that have to be done
Wait
Wait
and wait some more
Vig
http://yankeeholics.mlblogs.com
Glad you liked the beards post, FBC. It made me laugh too!
That’s what this off-season has been about, Vig. Waiting, waiting and more waiting. Can’t wait for Opening Day.
I can well understand that, Emma. Adopting one was my first instinct. The children are so adorable and so needy. But I think a lot has to be sorted out before the Haitian government starts letting their young people leave the country in droves.
Jane,
I heard this morning that lines are being flooded with calls of people wanting to adopt Haitian orphans.
Emma
http://crzblue.mlblogs.com/
Yeah, life without baseball right now pretty much stinks. I miss it too. Heck, in a few weeks, it will be February and Spring Training will begin!! Don’t worry about the entry either, baseball writing gets slow when there is nothing going on. As for the Yankees left fielding situation, well, Johnny’s not coming back, or so it looks like. Watching the Hope for Haiti now on TV. It just makes you feel lucky that we live in such a great country that is looking out for other people who aren’t as lucky as we are.
-Holly
http://irishsoxkid19.mlblogs.com
I just watched Hope for Haiti too, Holly. It was very inspiring with great music on top of the message. We’re lucky indeed.
can`t wait for just another great year of dave sims…