By Brian G. Schommer

April is almost here and for a lot of people, the month holds special significance. I suppose every month of the year triggers various things for everyone but in specific, April has always been one of those months for me. If you know me even a little bit, you know why. BASEBALL… and BASEBALL is imminent.

The Major League teams, despite a bit of a hold out are now back in full swing for spring training and catching a Grapefruit or Cactus League game on the tube is easy enough to do right now. As an avid St. Paul Saints fan, I am confident the folks at CHS Field in the Capitol City are working hard to get things ready for the opener in a few weeks. As was seen in the Hastings Journal a short time ago, the baseball venue at Veterans Athletic Complex will be undergoing some much needed and appreciated improvements soon. This should come to the delight of many a local baseball enthusiast and hats off to those involved in moving things forward from hopes, dreams, and visions to reality.

The pop of the ball hitting the mitt, crack of the bat (or clink if your favorite players are swinging aluminum) and the other sights, sounds and smells of the ballpark are upon us. The high school schedule will soon be in full tilt and even if you are not a fan of the game (gasp), there is just something to be said about supporting the kids representing you and your community on the diamond. A little more community pride is something that might be quite welcomed these days. The kids play solely for the love of the game and to represent the community. Most will not play beyond high school and with the chance to play college ball will soon enough have their “baseball career” come to an end. There is always town ball (Go Hawks) and for those who still want, desire and can (operative word, can) play ball after age 35, there are opportunities. The fact is most of the people who play baseball do it because they love the game. If you think about it, that can be said for a lot of things in life.

There are people who also find fishing boring… and again, I gasp. Some like to hunt wild game while others hunt for photo opportunities and yet, others who hunt for mushrooms. I have a friend who cannot stand football; American or European and yet, his wife is a huge football fanatic. They call it a split marriage. Have you ever gotten behind a mini convoy of bicyclists pedaling their spandex clad butts off and holding up traffic? Believe it or not, they love what they are doing, and most are not receiving endorsements, sponsor fees or a salary. The same can be said for the three other cyclists on the motorized bikes and loud pipes who decided to roar past them with a thumbs up, or at least I think it was a thumb. It was definitely a part of their hand. We all have things that we love to do, and a common denominator seems to be that these passions are generally outdoors and tend to be more enjoyable when we share them with others.

If you are simply not a fan of baseball, I challenge you to take in a game on a sunny afternoon. Bring your lawn chair (if allowed of course, they may frown on that at Target Field) and get some sun. Enjoy time with others where you can simply be you. Everyone needs a bit of meaningful yet mindless time in their lives. These times will help strike a balance between those “bottom of the ninth” inning where you are down to one out and your best hitter has two strikes and those games where you are so far ahead that the 10-run rule is not even a question. Life is a lot like baseball as we do not know what pitch is going to be thrown next, if it will be a ball or strike, if we will make contact or swing through? We are all playing the same game… Let us try to make it more fun by playing for the love of the game and each other. Get Out and Enjoy the Great Outdoors.