Baseball season '09

America's favorite pastime. What is a pastime? That's a damn good question. For those of you who enjoy baseball, you think of a pastime as an activity, a sport. For those of you who don't, you probably think it means boredom.

Your Washington Nationals will most likely be the worst team in the MLB once again, but luckily they have locked down Mr. Ryan Zimmerman (UVA class '05). He's been in the league for a few years now, always with so much 'potential' but his most recent 22-game hit streak is finally showing that he is in fact ready to be the franchise player that the team so desperately needs. Granted, the team won't start winning until they can really lock in some pitching, especially their bullpen, but glimpses of beauty appear every once and awhile. That's the beauty of baseball though, or any sport really. You can head out to the game one day and have the game of your life, and the worst of your career next. You never know what to expect. No rhyme, no reason, just falling into the 'zone'. The Nationals best pitching prospect is a Jordan Zimmermann. He's got some talent but needs to lose some of the wetness behind his ears before he can really start to make a difference. Looks like the key to the Nationals success is to keep drafting players with the last name Zimmerman(n).

Catching some dogs and beers in the thick of summer while catching up with people outdoors is what makes the game such a pastime. It's a reason to come together and enjoy a game. Luckily, there are over 160 games in a season, so most of the time, people don't even pay attention to what's going on but for maybe an hours worth of a 3 hour game. Having such a bad team is both a blessing and a curse. Obviously a winning team is incredible to watch, i.e. your Washington Capitals. But having a team that is still trying to build its legacy allows you to walk up to the game and grab a $5 ticket. Nothing can beat a nice afternoon for $5. A McDonald's extra value meal costs more than that.

I was never a crackerjacks fan, so throw me some peanuts and a few Bud Lights and take me out to the ballpark.