I am now into my eighth year if exile in the USA, and April has now become my favorite time of year. The reason? The baseball season has started and my beloved Atlanta Braves are starting out in their attempt to win their 15th division title in the last 16 years. Baseball has captured my attention the extend that I am now much more interested in their fortunes than those of Oxford Utd and Oxford Cheetahs, who I followed avidly before moving to Atlanta.
Over the next 6 months, the Braves will play 162 games in 180 days, and are currently in the middle of a nine game home stand (nine home games in ten days). Watching a baseball season unfold is like watching a soap opera as the storylines change and star players get hold and then go cold as the season ebbs and flows through to October.
Baseball can be though of like Cricket on steroids. Speed the game up a bit (3 hours instead of all day), eliminate draws from the equation, and make the batsman run every time he hits the ball.
Getting into a game can cost as little as $10 (although the beer will cost you as much as the admission). The sheer number of games and ridiculous TV contracts enable the players to be paid fortunes. The Braves have been moaning for a few years now that it has become impossible to compete with their $80m payroll. The Yankees and Red Sox are paying Chelsea style wages.
Will my team win the World Series? I doubt it, but I am cerrtainly going to enjoy the ride.
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