Beginnings

As soon as the Super Bowl ended, it was unofficially baseball season. Now that pitchers and catchers have reported, and we’re that much closer to full squads reporting, it’s essentially baseball season. We have the formalities of Spring Training to through, of course, but as soon as the first pitcher or player steps foot in that facility, it’s baseball season.

If you follow me on Twitter, then you know that I was at the Baseball Hall of Fame yesterday with my girlfriend Steph. Before going any further, I must say that going to the HOF is always a fun time, especially during induction weekend, which I’ve done a few times. However, it’s even better going in the off season. There were no crowds in Cooperstown and we were able to take our sweet time at each exhibit. As we took the (long) drive home, between spotting lots of cows, horses, and barns that were in desperate need of repair or destruction, I thought about how the day was one of new baseball beginnings.

Upon our entrance to the building, we were greeted by something I’d not yet seen before: this troika in statue form of (L-R) Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, and Roberto Clemente. Next, we proceeded up the stairs and headed to the mini-theater. We took our seats, and a familiar voice of which we hadn’t heard much greeted us as the show began. It was the voice we knew by ear and by heart. It was the voice that has reminded us and millions of others that we were in our baseball homes. It was the voice of Bob Shepherd. That we heard his voice was fitting. As he began our trips to Yankee Stadium, he began our trip to the Hall of Fame. For whatever reason, I hadn’t thought about Shepherd and his voice for a while, but hearing it again was a perfect way to start the day.

There were two other “beginnings” in the Hall that we found incredibly interesting. The first was the original scouting report by the Houston Astros on Johan Santana. The next was the text from the original scouting report on 18 year old shortstop Hank Aaron. On the day when pitchers and catchers reported, we saw the origins of a great arm and one of the greatest who ever stepped into a batter’s box. But as I think back on all the wonderful things we saw at that museum today, my mind drifts back to the Voice of God. As we sat in that theater, waiting for the short film to start, Bob Shepherd welcomed us to the Hall of Fame, but he may as well have been welcoming us to baseball season.

Follow Me On Twitter