It's painfully apparent to those of you who have visited this site that I have hardly delivered on my webpage's title as "the daily bread." "The monthly bread" would be more fitting, but less fresh. TAH! Fresh bread! Wit galore. So for the first time in a long while, I give you some ramblings on what I've been doing/thinking about/deciding lately (in a decidedly random fashion):
Mark McGwire, once my hero, has fallen from his pumped-up pedestal, due to the worst possible at-bat facing a Congressional Hearing. A real strikeout, Mark, and unlike your days on the juice, your walk back to the bench might not be the same as it used to be, as your fans can't forgive this hearing strikeout with hopes for your next homerun in front of the committee. It would be too ugly to see you at this plate again.
Other than the steroid controversy, baseball has me extremely excited about the impending season. With so many players switching teams this offseason, with the Red Sox wondering how to best defend their holy grail of a World Series crown, and with so many of my friends and former teammates on the cusp of making major league rosters, I can't say I've ever been more ready for a baseball season to begin. Some more reasons to be ecstatic: the Padres were good last year, and should be better, with a more experienced Khalil Greene, a healthy Phil Nevin, another dominating year from Jake Peavy, and a breakout season by ex-Cal Bear Xavier Nady. The Padres are looking the strongest in an ever-weakening division (the Dodgers looked minor league this winter with some bad personnel moves, and the Giants are only as healthy as their brooding star Barry, whom I personally hope follows through with his threats to sit out the season. It's really the best time for him to retire...he's in the uber-elite 700-homerun club, but just short of both the Babe and Hammerin' Hank in career knocks, a fact which has so far saved Barry from the the worst of the worst steroid accusations. If Barry thinks he's got it bad now, just wait until he dethrones BABE RUTH as the most prolific left-handed homerun hitter of all-time. I think it would actually HURT Barry's legacy to pass Ruth and Aaron. Isn't it strange, though, if Barry were to retire, his decision would surely be met by applause: not for his career, but for ending it.)
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I must admit, that felt pretty good. Thinking about and writing about and talking about baseball makes me remember how much I love this time of year, when the weather (theoretically) gets better, the layers get to stay in the closet, and thoughts of summer excursions start to percolate. Check back somewhat soon, as in this season of new beginnings I promise to be more true to the "daily" in the "bread."
