Spring Training!

Wow, was this just ten years ago when Big Mac and Slammin' Sammy saved baseball from the post-strike doldrums? It was quite a season, wasn't it? One could almost say that it was a better season that one could have expected based on past performance. One could almost say that it was a juicy season to have beheld. One could almost say it was like a season on steroids. But then one would be going too far with one's metaphors.

Favorite moments from this season:
1) Seeing Mark McGwire in May crushing HRs in May and thinking, "That's Mark McGwire???!! He's a monster!! He must be on steroids. No matter."
2) Watching the Giants play the Padres in the laundry room of Budge Hall
3) Watching the Giants play the Padres in the lounge of Budge Hall with Reno Mahe (back when he was Junior Mahe and before he got suspended for that season) who was sad because he saw that I was sad that Joe Carter had just struck out on the same pitch that 5 years before he had belted into the deep recesses of the SkyDome to win the World Series.
4) Watching the Cardinals play the Cubs in the lounge of Budge Hall with three strangers interested in watching baseball history. As the game progressed, a bunch of self-righteous bums walked in with their girls and demanded that we turn the TV to President Hinckley's interview on Larry King Live. We acquiesced only if we got to turn the TV back to the game during commercials. Sure enough, during one break, Big Mac hit a laser into left. I stood up, started to sit back down because I thought it was too low, but then stood back up as it cleared the fence for HR 62. I raised both hands above my head and pointed at the other three guys who were still there watching the game. I didn't say a word. After he hit the HR, some stupid girl said, "Turn it back to President Hinckley." And when we did, it was a replay on Larry King Live of the HR. And the whole crowd didn't understand it. But President Hinckley did. I was so happy.
5) Watching the Giants play the Cubs in the one game playoff to make the playoffs in the Cannon Center lounge on the big screen TV. I was the only Giants fan there. There were a couple of Cubs fans. Kirk Reuter was pitching and I taunted Sammy Sosa every time Reuter got him out. Loudly. But the Gigantes fell apart in the final innings and that was that.