The Right Time for America’s Pastime

“Put me in coach, I’m ready to play.” Whenever I hear those words, I’m taken back to my younger days as a kid playing baseball. My dad would play that classic John Fogerty song “Centerfield,” where the line comes from before every game as I sat in the back seat in anticipation of that day’s contest.

I spent a good chunk of my life playing baseball from age four to twenty. Heck, I’ve been playing recreation league softball nearly every year since. There’s just something special about being on the field, a glove on your hand and a hat on your head, waiting for the next pitch. It’s a love that seems to have been passed on to my son, Kingston, as he has begun his own playing journey over the past few years.

As we enter May, baseball is back. The major league season is in full swing with actual fans, and not cardboard cutouts in the stands. Minor league baseball is just getting started again, and now Danville’s newest team, the Otterbots, will make its debut in June. It’s been fun to watch the reaction to our new team being called the “Otterbots.” There was definitely some hesitation from many locals at first, but it seems most have warmed up to, or downright love, the name. Barstool Sports even named us the best team name in baseball.

I’m looking forward to a summer of fun, watching my son play youth baseball. I also look forward to stepping back on the field with my friends and playing under the lights. And yes, after almost two years away, I’m looking forward to sitting in a packed stadium with a beer in one hand, and a bag of peanuts in the other, watching the greatest game ever invented. Now is the right time for America’s pastime.