Please spring, hurry up!!

Man, do I long for the start of the new season. I cannot wait to hear the sounds of balls hitting the wood of the bats. Thinking about this, my memory leads me back to the days that I played myself.

After a long winter, I was craving for a new season. I could not wait for the first practice game, even though the weather was crappy most of the time. In general when the official season started the weather was nice. I always loved the sound of the aluminum bats (Dziiinnnggg), the sound of baseballs dropping into your glove (Dhoofff) and the sounds of the cleats on the pavement when walking from the locker room to the field; it was pure poetry. I loved the smell of the grass and the smell of my glove.

As the season continued, I always rode my bike to the game and to the trainings on a summer night, a twenty minutes ride from where I lived. Along a beautiful road with trees and old farm houses on the side; something you’d never expect in Amsterdam. Live was good. I still take some pride in the fact that I played for the oldest, still existing club in Europe: AHC Quick from Amsterdam. Thinking about that, I curse the day that I blew my arm out in 2007. Since then I haven’t been able to play. How much I like to write about baseball, there is nothing like playing the game yourself, even if it is at a low level like I did. I played for the sake of it. I loved it, I breathed it, I ate it, I drank it, I slept it.

The last few days two signs of the upcoming season emerged. The first was Truck Day. All MLB clubs loading trucks with baseball equipment to bring it to their Spring Training camps in Arizona and Florida. The other was the start of the college baseball season. Yesterday that season took off. My two favorite teams, the UCLA Bruins and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish won their season opener. From now it is a long road to the College World Series in June.

In a little bit less than a week, MLB pitchers and catchers report at Spring Training camps. In about ten days the position players will arrive and families will build a short vacation around it; something still on my bucket list.

I cannot wait to attend some Dutch Hoofdklasse games, so I can make pics and write stories about it.

Please spring, hurry up!!