The Little Joys of Baseball - 2/9/25
Shohei with a dog not named Decoy! Mr. Met on cap wearing a cap! Spring Training just around the corner!
With *gestures wildly* EVERYTHING going on in what has felt like the LONGEST six weeks (cries) of 2025, it’s ridiculously easy to get lost in the doomscrolling of it all, especially when there seems to be no way to alleviate the constant anxiety and uncertainty of what we’re feeling in sight.
The good news is that Spring Training and the start of the 2025 Major League Baseball season are just around the corner! And if your team is like mine (the Angels), then you’re likely in for a lot of heartbreak, disappointment, and presumably some irate moments for the next 162.
So, in light of ALL of that, I’m going to attempt to bring you a weekly “Little Joys of Baseball” - the little things in the world of baseball that brought a smile to my face and momentarily made me feel ok about the state of the world and all of us in it.
Mets Spring Training Cap
If you follow me on Threads you probably already saw my delight in the Mets 2025 Spring Training Cap this week when all team caps were revealed (although the Pirates were glaringly omitted). That’s because it’s Mr. Met wearing a Mets cap on a Mets cap! The METa of it all, and the fact that it’s a nice cap overall leaned into the silliness I felt around it. And yes, I want one.
Shohei and a weenie dog
If you’re going to think about Shohei Ohtani with a dog, you’d be right to assume the dog in question is his MVPup Decoy. But Shohei, who appears to have not left the States this short offseason (between him and Mamiko’s pregnancy announcement and the Los Angeles wildfires that forced them to evacuate, it seems unlikely he had the time), was seen at the Dodgers spring training facilities at Camelback Ranch earlier this week trying to earn the trust of a playful dachshund.
While the pup was seen frolicking around Shohei as he worked out, Shohei’s attempts to get closer for some pets were evaded when the weenie ran off into the indoor facilities. Either way, how could the entire interaction NOT bring a smile to your face?
San Francisco declares 2/5 Barry Bonds Day
There continue to be a lot of complicated feelings around Barry Bonds’ career and legacy. I have my own opinions and qualms about the “steroid era”, but to squarely put all of Bonds’ accomplishments within that time is a disservice to Bonds and to fans. The reality is that Barry Bonds was a generational player even before the early 2000s, which I feel often gets lost in these discussions.
What he brought to the city of San Francisco and to the Giants baseball team has always been heralded by both entities. That’s why the city and subsequently the team declaring Barry Bonds Day on 2/5/25 feels important to an era that Bonds was such a significant part of.
My MLB Ballpark souvenir cup collection
A little over a week ago, I was staring at the large grocery bag that has, for the better part of the last several years, been housing all of my souvenir cups from nearly all 30 ballparks I visited. I live in a 550 sq ft apartment which means there’s never been a lot of space to retain these, much less get use out of them frequently. I had been toying with the idea of it was time to part with most of it not all of them, so I asked on Threads if anyone else had a large collection and if so, how they heck they were making use out of all of them. I got so many different and varied responses that on a whim I inquired if anyone wanted to see my collection.
The majority said “yes”, so I dug out all the cups from the bag, dusted them off and decided to make this video to showcase each cup.
In doing so, it gave me a newfound appreciation and some nostalgia in remembering going to these ballparks and even how far back some of them went. Maybe one day I’ll regale about my life, but some of these came on solo travels, some of these were acquired while I was touring the country during my music biz and live touring festivals days, some stadiums I was with my best friends, some I was with people who are unfortunately no longer with us. In my last 6-7 ballparks for my completion of 30, I had stopped drinking soda so I wasn’t looking at purchasing cups so the collection overall is sadly incomplete, but it definitely made me smile looking at all of them again, and push back the idea on getting rid of them just yet.
Truck Day!
The countless posts from Truck Day, namely from those MLB teams who have Spring Training in Florida, was the serotonin I needed because that means we’ve finally arrived at the start of the 2025 MLB season! And honestly, it’s been sorely missed and needed!
National Girls & Women in Sports Day
National Girls & Women in Sports Day is ALWAYS significant and every year my fingers are tired (in a good way) from liking and sharing every possible post from an organization, team or individual about the day and their accomplishments. Even more special this year because as someone who has wanted to work in sports her entire life, but instead went the route of my other passions such as working in music and entertainment because, at that time, I saw even LESS of a path of trying to get into sports, I could finally say that I too am one of these women (and not just because of GATBP).
But, of all the social posts made for the day, the Rocket City Trash Pandas, the AA-affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, made IMO the BEST piece of content to commemorate the day. They swapped roles by having the women who work in the org act like the men who ALL OF US have endured, questioning the men in the org about their qualifications to be a baseball fan, much less their qualifications to work in the sport. It’s a hilarious and (unfortunately) spot-on watch.
Those were the little joys of baseball for me this week. Stay tuned to see what new joys I’ll have next week (spoiler alert: one of them is definitely going to be pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training.)