ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The spring sojourn to the Sunshine State is the first sign that the cold days of winter are ending and a warming trend is on the horizon.
The Grapefruit League is the traditional beginning of the major league baseball season. If timed correctly, the boys of summer who will be battling for the playoffs will take the field for extended innings in the third week of the spring season.
With everything the country has been through over the past 15 months, the welcoming signs of the national pastime are a relief. And if baseball in the spring in Florida is a measure, the stands are full once more and the vendors are selling their wares in the stands to an eager crowd.
There are a few other lessons from this spring season that may be signals that need to be seen and heard in Washington and other parts of the country.
These first days of the warm-ups for the big leagues have fans in a more gentle state. Sure there is bragging about last season’s achievements or comments about disappointments, but this is a new year.
As the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies hosted the Tampa Bay Rays, there were several times when the spirit of intolerance that has spread throughout the country and particularly to the politicians in Washington would have been right at home.
The left fielder for the Rays, Pat Burrell, left the Phillies after the 2009 season and signed with the Rays. He was playing in front of the hometown crowd in Clearwater, Fla. But something was amiss.
There was no taunting and no name-calling as Burrell was announced for the opposing team. When he came to bat, the fans gave him a polite cheer. One was even bold enough to hang his previous Phillies number – 5 – over the left field wall as he approached the plate.
Could it be that the bitterness that permeates Washington and its politicians has not spread to the fans who enjoy the national pastime – baseball not politics?
Could it be that the public really cares less about the name-calling, the racial labels and the intolerant behavior that are the rules by which Washington politicians play their games?
As they say in baseball, it’s
more than winning or losing; it is how you play the game.
There may be lessons to be learned by the political partisans in Washington who are shackled to the next election and those who claim control of the votes to keep them in office or cast them aside.
Step up to the plate. Stare down the 95 mph fastball or learn how to hit the curveball. Put success or failure in your own performance.
There are fans in the stands who will applaud the performance.
To reach Tom Griscom, call 423-757-6472 or e-mail tgriscom@timesfreepress.com.