All around campus this spring, you will see tons of students crowding around televisions. No, it's not because the Aires recorded a never-before-seen episode of NBC's "The Sing-Off" although we all wish that would happen, right? You could make the argument that students are intently watching the television because a new episode of "Game of Thrones" is airing, but let's be honest if you're going to watch an episode of HBO's best series since "The Wire," you definitely want a comfortable couch in a dimly lit room and copious amounts of snacks around you.
But I digress. Students are actually watching television (and not studying) because baseball is back. People are breaking out the baseball caps and playing catch, an American classic. Some students are known to watch an afternoon game during lunch, and then decide it's probably socially acceptable to watch an evening game while eating dinner, only to then watch a West Coast game while enjoying some snacks from Late Night Collis. In a couple more weeks, these students will be able to recite MLB stats without a problem, but that won't really help them with solving Russian 13 riddles, will it?
You and I both know that being a real fan of any sports team involves a lot of effort, especially if you are in a different time zone. The internet has made the life of a fan much easier, since you can essentially have a play-by-play of a game if you follow the right reporters on Twitter. Yet, if you're able to convince someone else to pay for MLB Extra Innings, which airs all the games for every team, you can just watch the games from your couch.
The major leagues have prime-time stars that get the big bucks for big bombs and runs on the scoreboard. Albert Pujols signed a $240-million contract with the Los Angeles Angels this past offseason, leaving the St. Louis Cardinals with big shoes to fill at first base. The recently-renamed Miami Marlins went on a spending spree, highlighted by the acquisition of former New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, who inked a six-year, $106-million contract to play in South Florida. The New York Yankees always put an All-Star caliber squad on the field, while the Los Angeles Dodgers will surely attempt to do the same under a new ownership group that includes Magic Johnson. There is a real threat of an East Coast-West Coast rivalry in baseball a la the hip-hop rivalry of the 1990s, which is great for baseball.
However, despite all the stories and air time that baseball gets on television, you don't need to trick the treasurer of your Greek house to purchase the MLB Extra Innings package because good baseball is just a short walk away. The Dartmouth baseball team has won four consecutive Rolfe Division titles and plays its home games directly behind Alumni Gym. If you can walk to the fitness center, you can walk to a Dartmouth baseball game.
Admittedly, neither the baseball team nor the softball team has had the best start to the season, as both teams currently own a sub-.500 record. Luckily, these teams have the second half of the season to turn things around and return to winning ways. Conference games will be filled with intensity as each team jostles for playoff position in the Ivy League standings. The talent on the Big Green teams has me believing there's just no way to count them out yet.
The baseball team started off the season with four straight losses and has been trying to recover ever since. Recently, however, the Big Green has been getting its swagger back last week, Jake Carlson '12 became the first player in Dartmouth history to hit for the cycle, a feat that no doubt lifted the spirits of the team. On the women's side, the softball team christened the brand new Dartmouth Softball Park with a victory over the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday, hopefully a sign of the team's resurgence.
The words "Play ball!" will be heard every day this term, whether they're coming from a television or the umpire at a Big Green game. Both these squads play very important conference games in the next month, so let's go out there and cheer for more Dartmouth victories. But do remember to bring an umbrella the weather in Hanover has been inconsistent lately. Do your homework, play some pong, rant about King Arthur being closed on Sundays and then attend a baseball or softball game, which will definitely brighten up your day.
