Baseball DIY

One of the advantages of having a day off during the week is the feeling that you are playing hooky while everyone else is at work.

Case in point: ESPN broadcast the Braves/Dodgers game this afternoon, the first spring training game I'd seen this year. My feelings for both of those teams border on contempt, but it thrilled me to see any teams playing; I've never been so happy to see J.D. Drew. After a couple of innings of a nondescript 4-0 matchup, though, I got the itch.

I needed to take some swings.

So I grabbed the box of balls that I have on hand for just such an occasion and hopped in the car. Less than 90 seconds later, I arrived at the little league field that figured prominently in the first issue of Baseball DIY (hey, remember that magazine?).

The temperature probably hovered around 53 or so, but the sun shone and clouds were nowhere to be found. Good enough for me. For the next half-hour or so, I took some latchkey-kid batting practice, which is about 10% hitting and 90% shagging your own balls. Hey, it beats PlayStation anyday.

The outfield eventually gives way to a graveyard, but I never succeeded in hitting one that far. I estimate that to hit a tombstone you'd have to drive one about 300 feet or so, and I don't think I could do that even if someone pitched to me. It's something to shoot for, though.

Satisfied with my work for the day, I gathered up my baseballs and headed back home. Now I'm ready to concentrate on my fantasy baseball rankings.