For it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out, at the old ball game! That has been my summer anthem for my entire life. It started with the iconic Chicago Cubs’ announcer on WGN as a kid growing up in Florida back when there was no baseball, and has followed me through living in all four US time zones.
The current pandemic forced the entire MLB season to be postponed indefinitely. I am a die hard Cubs fan. I also play fantasy baseball.
But, I have to admit that not only have I not missed it, the complete lack of baseball has made me a better husband! Here’s how –
1st Inning — Time! It’s that simple. I have spent dramatically more quality time with my wife and daughter. By my estimate, I probably watched approximately 140 of the 162 regular season games last season. The average 9 inning game in MLB was 3 hours and 5 minutes! I am ashamed to admit that that is 431 hours!
2nd Inning — I am, without a doubt, more present. That probably seems obvious, but without my head glued to a TV or tablet, I am simply aware and more present in everyday life.
3rd Inning — The political environment around race in our country has never had such a bright light shined upon it. The Black Lives Matter movement has been a constant conversation between me and my wife. What can we do to help? What changes do we need to make? These types of questions and uncomfortable conversations have not only given us another front to unite on, but has brought our hearts closer.
4th Inning — Creative expression is something that both Shay and I had lost over the past several years. She is incredibly crafty and handy. So much so, that we opened an Etsy shop and sold over 400 homemade masks! And I’ve always enjoyed writing in some capacity. We both used this extra time to encourage each other to actively create! Hence, you reading this right now.
5th Inning — The lack of professional sports and new movies, forced us — for lack of a better word — to start reading or listening to content that actually adds value to our lives. You would be surprised how many in-depth conversations start with, “I heard this great podcast today.”
6th Inning — Sex. And that is all I am going to say about that. 😉
7th Inning — Our safety. We have taken road trips from the time Elliott was six weeks old to see the Cubs play. Living in Florida means that every trip is pretty substantial. We have gone to Detroit, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Miami, just to name a few. These trips are exhausting for everyone, but especially my wife. The current pandemic would have made jamming into stadiums full of people far too risky.
8th Inning — Extra money means more family fun! I don’t gamble, so we are not talking about a huge amount of money, but if you add up the cost of travel, tickets, fantasy baseball, and merchandise, it makes more than a nice chunk of change. Instead of visiting a few ballparks this summer, we spent a week in a gorgeous cabin in Asheville!
9th Inning — It sounds like there might actually be baseball after all this summer. But whether it is as simple as “out of sight, out of mind”, despite the unknown effects of the coronavirus, I couldn’t be happier. On the other hand, my wife is a huge Ohio State University football fan and I just don’t foresee college football happening this fall. So, maybe this break from baseball will give me that empathetic edge to help Shay through a season with no college football!