Rite of Spring

Many people may find it dumb, some beyond understanding, others simply quaint. But for many lifelong New Englanders (even those, like yours truly, in exile), the Red Sox truck leaving Fenway Park for Florida spring training is a momentous, seasonal event. It warms the heart, on this windy, cold Indiana day, to know that spring training is close upon us, that the slow warmth of spring will soon be creeping north, that nights listening to a ball game on the car radio are just around the corner. So sayeth Red Sox PR man Charles Steinberg:

In any baseball city, the truck's departure for Spring Training connects with a lot of fans. In Boston and in New England, that is magnified so many times over. Instead of just making it our little private fireplace of warmth, you want to connect with the fans, resonate with the fans, share it with the fans, give them a chance to celebrate spring as well.

When you see the images of snow at one end and sunshine at the other ... this trip is a metaphor. Winter is going to end. Spring is going to come. And baseball is the robin. Baseball heralds spring. You want to celebrate that.

Here, here, and amen. Opening Day is the next milestone (okay, perhaps St. Patrick's Day comes in a close second). I can recall in high school how many had Sony Walkmans in class, listening to every pitch, and how the end-of-the-day announcements over the intercom included the latest score from Fenway. The three R's are important, sure, but let's not lose sight of the really important things.

Give me baseball and soon.