Time To Play Ball
No baseball in April. No packed ballpark on 35th Street on a chilly Spring afternoon to witness the Sox opener spiced up with numerous breaks for fireworks and smiling South Side faces and high-fives all-around (remember those?).
No baseball the whole month of May.
No baseball the whole month of June.
No baseball for almost the whole month of July.
Then, a new tradition is born. Sox Opening Day... on July 24. Yes, July 24.
The bold experiment begins. First, with games against a team from the city that set the world into a huge turmoil that hasn’t stopped a bit. Then, against a team destined to soon change their nickname that has lasted way longer than most people thought it would ever be allowed to. Later on, against teams like Milwaukee and St. Louis and Pittsburgh and Cincinnati and then some other team that nobody ever heard of. At least, nobody who calls him/herself a real South Sider.
So, best of luck guys. You, and we, don’t know what we’re in for or how long this "season" will last. You’re giving this a try and that’s all anyone can ask.
One thing that might last is this thing of playing mostly regional games. MLB might want to make this permanent in future seasons to cut down on flying and long road trips. Flying and road trips are becoming things of the past.
"No" fans. No high-fives. No sitting too close. No concession stands. Fake computer-generated fans on video broadcasts. Social distancing and Mask mania. That’s where we are.
What we do have? Baseball. On the South Side, aka Baseball Heaven.
Time to play ball. Finally.