Thoughts on Boston, and Our Second Birthday
Hey guys! Happy Monday and welcome back from an exciting weekend! I hope you all had a lovely one – I know I did! Quite a bit of stuff happened in the baseball and non-baseball worlds this week. Let’s start with Boston.
As you all know, 3 people were killed and over 170 were injured in last week’s Boston Marathon bombing. It was terrifying for many reasons, one of which being that such a deplorable act took place in a venue of sportsmanship and athleticism. Since then, the country has united to show their support for those in Boston, and I know I’m going to tear up writing about it, but one of the factors that contributed to such unity is baseball.
The comparison has been made countless times, and I believe it is one of the truest sentiments out there – the reason people love baseball so much is because it imitates life. There is always tomorrow, everybody gets their chance, and possibly most importantly, if the going gets tough, you’ll always be able to find a support system. The rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees is one of the biggest in baseball, yet after the bombing, the Yankees organization, fans, and players showed their support for the people of Boston. This cartoon by Bill Bramhall is going viral:
Furthermore, the Yankees honored Boston on Tuesday night by bringing a long-standing Fenway Park tradition to Yankee Stadium – they played Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” during the third inning. It wasn’t just the Yanks though – the song that is synonymous with baseball in Boston resounded through ballparks all over the country. Even here at home, the #RedsDJ played the Boston anthem during the Reds-Phillies game on Tuesday.
All of this is proof that this game we love is bigger than us. Rivalries are fun, entertaining, and one of the reasons to show up to the ballpark, but when the tough times come, the players and the fans are able to put the silly stuff aside and unite to show their support for one another. Baseball is like one big crazy family – sure, you might be embarrassed of your drunk uncle or afraid of that creepy great aunt who always calls you by your sister’s name, but when it comes down to it, it’s all about love and support.
Baseball is the game that shows the spirit of America. Whether it be during the singing of the National Anthem at the beginning of every game, Sam the Bald Eagle flying around at Great American Ballpark, or the resounding chants of “USA, USA” at every ballpark in America on Friday, after videoboards all around the country revealed that the suspect had been captured, our favorite sport is a beautiful representation of the freedom and opportunity in the United States. Now that the culprit has been identified and is in the hands of the authorities, the city of Boston can begin to heal. Whether you see baseball as a distraction from the harsh realities of the world, a community of good people who rally when the times are hard, a fun few hours of entertainment during summer nights, or a little of all three, I’m sure you can agree that, like the aforementioned crazy family, baseball will always be here through the good times and bad.
Before I end my thoughts about Boston, and continue to wax way more poetic than is appropriate at 8 am on a Monday morning, I just want to mention one last thing about all this business – former Red, current Red Sox player (Sock? Is that right for the singular of “Sox”?), and all-around class act Jonny Gomes paid tribute yesterday to those who lost their lives by using a bat that was engraved with the message “Boston Strong” and the names of the victims of the bombing. You can read about it on USA Today by clicking here.
And now for something completely different! TODAY IS OUR SECOND BIRTHDAY! Two years ago, I decided to start a Reds blog, and it’s turned into this bizarre creature you see before you today. Since our inception, we have remained the #1-ranked Reds fan blog according to mlblogs.com, which is just absolutely baffling to me. I cannot thank you guys enough for continuing to read whatever ridiculous, sometimes hilarious, and almost always idiotic musings I come up with on a regular basis. As I’ve mentioned before, I am just shocked that people who aren’t my mom read my blog, so from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU. If I could make a cupcake for each and every one of you, I would, but I don’t have the time or resources to make that many cupcakes. Now, if YOU want to send US cupcakes to thank us for being a weird, high-pitched, nasally voice of Cincinnati Reds baseball, email me and I will give you a shipping address. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Rockin’ Redlegs’ birthday than with a trip to the ballpark, so that’s what I’ll be doing tonight. COME SAY HI. Speaking of birthdays, I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention that it is my brother Mikey’s 19th birthday today. Happy Birthday, Bro Nuxhall.
Finally, since last Monday, the Reds have won 6 of their last 7 games and have scored a total of 38 runs. IN A WEEK. These guys are good.
Have a great day, send us cupcakes, and I’ll see you at the ballpark tonight! GO REDS.
Rockin' Redlegs 
