Ahhh..baseball

The world has gone cynical and sorry. In the midst we have baseball, which the media and Congress and others would like to drag through the mud and mire then strain through the eye of their camel.

Steroids are such an uncomplicated story. But rather than deal with real scandals like the war in Iraq, prisoner abuses, white collar fraud, erosion of civil liberties, the government would rather focus on Baseball.

How convienent.

Well I reject that and embrace the game. It is still a great game, despite the high salaries and so-called scandals. We live in a media age that DEMANDS scandal as a means of selling their so-called "news".

Barry Bonds, the greatest player of our time, is not as good with the public as he is with a bat. Okay. Just leave him be the best ballplayer around and a great show. And while you are at it, remember two things about Barry. First he lost his father last year; and second, he still loves the game. He may hate the media (they mean him no good), but he loves the game.

All real baseball fans love the game. It has a Zen-like quality unknown in most sports. Anne lamott's depiction of the old days at Candlestick is dead on, with Willie Mays out in centerfield "looking like Jesus" (Bird by Bird).

Yes, I know it is very expensive. When the Ginats went to the World Series in 2002, I took my 10 year old son tot he game that was on his birthday. It cost me $450 and we missed 2 innings.

But that's the trick for regular season games. Show up after the first inning (on public transit) and someone will give you a ticket or sell you a $45 one for $10. Pack a sandwich in your fanny pack and a pouch drink. Go catch 5 innings in the glee that is Pac-Bell, or stay for the whol deal then camp out and write in your journal for an hour while everyone clears out.

Either way, enjoy the crowd, the rolling party. get in tot he game when it heats up, or have some yucks with your neighbor (he'll buy you a beer).

I'll miss seeing barry in left field as the season opens...but we have a lot to be grateful for until he returns.

I predict Barry will be back in late May and the Giants will win the division at the wire against a surprising Padres team.