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| Satsuma ball, waiting in my Florida garden for a Cardinals' victory so it can finally ripen |
An interesting conversation with a friend the other day revealed that baseball fan (at least male fan) habits are universally similar. The friend recalled that her male relatives (all Cardinals' baseball fans) used to watch the World Series of baseball as a matter of ritual, gathering together in each other's home for every game, visually glued to the TV set (now quite small by today's mega-size standards), while simultaneously listening to the play-by-play radio broadcast. Now these are dedicated fans, I thought, raised on
Jack Buck's voice, not quite trusting what they saw on those television screens, and needing something more emphatic, something with verve. But wait! What's missing from their sensory-rich experience? They're watching, listening, and (if I know anything about males, I'm pretty sure I'm right about this one), nervously gripping some kind of ball. Of course, I'm talking
cheese here. You know, the kind that baseball wives dutifully serve with crackers or crusty bread. Anyway, the missing sensory elements in this Blast-from-the-Past baseball series could only be...Yes, the smell of baseball. You've already got the taste of cheese in your mouth. Now focus on the smell. It's sweat, covered by after-shave and perfume, covered by popcorn, covered by peanuts, covered by beer, covered by hot dogs, covered by puke, covered by....unwashed, left-in-the-locker-too-long Red Sox. So now consider them all washed up for this year. Go, win this 2013 World Series,
Cardinals!
Dear Walk2write,
ReplyDeletebeing thus knowing about male fans of basketball shows that you must have been a fan for a long time, too. Our Online-Spiegel writes that the Cardinals for the first time gained the lead in the Final series yesterday - bravo!
Oh, yes, Britta. We used to live in the Midwest and attended games at the stadium (the old one). So I'm familiar with the male habits as well as the pungent odors associated with the game. As for the Cardinals leading, we will see what happens tonight. Last night's game in St. Louis did not end as I had hoped. The Sox and the Cards are tied for wins 2-2. I'm still rooting for the Cardinals to win the series. Thanks for helping me cheer them on!
ReplyDeleteI am all for the Red Sox! My mother is beside herself that they made it to the world series this year so I am hoping for her--sorry!
ReplyDeleteThose asters might be the Tatarian asters? I recently did a post on them so check and see if that is the same kind. I am thinking it is. Glad they are doing well!
First of all, what is a Satsuma ball? When it ripens, do you eat it? I didn't grow up in a sportsy family. I missed out!
ReplyDeleteSeeing as I'm not attached to any particular team, I'll cheer for yours. Go Cardinals!
ReplyDeleteWe enjoy going to see our local Team the Augusta Green Jackets play in the spring. I am not into the humidity of it all during the Summer months so spring is the time for us to enjoy some Bat and Ball... Did you know that I was the first girl to play Baseball in my hometown of Clarksville, TN? I like to think that my dad (team Coach) and I helped to pave the way for girls to play today....
ReplyDeleteI'm with the Cardinals this year. I'm a Yankees fan, you see. So, anyone, but the Red Sox! :-)
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
Tina, it looks like the Sox cleaned up with a final win over the Cards. Good for them. The Cardinals get-up-and-go got up and left them. As for the asters, I don't think the asters are the ones you're referring to, but I may be wrong. They are more delicate looking. I'll figure it out with a little more research. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi, Karen. The Satsuma is a variety of citrus that grows very well here. I thought the fruit looked like a green baseball and is about the same size. I wonder if it will ripen now that the Cards have lost?
Thanks, Dr. Lydia. The Cards weren't successful this time, but I'll save your support for next year.
Skeeter, I didn't know you were such a tomboy growing up! With a stellar history like yours, I bet you would make a great motivational speaker for young women. Have you thought of writing a book about your experiences? Young ladies need all the encouragement they can get.
ACIL, I never thought about that rivalry angle with the Yanks and the Sox. Glad to have you join the cheering section. Sorry it was all for nought:( Maybe next year.
Of course, I had to convert to the Twins when they arrived here while I was in college. But as a boy listening to was it KMOX out of St. Louis late at night I was definitely a Cards fan. Who also hated the arrogant Yankees...:)
ReplyDeleteTB, your comment about conversion confirms my opinion about baseball as well as most other sports. There is definitely something mystical, even religious about them. I know some people who share your opinion of the Yankees, but I won't name names.
ReplyDeleteW2W, sorry I missed this post earlier and sorry your enthusiastic loyalty didn't help them win. I feel a little responsible for the Cardinals' losing--we were in St. Louis Sunday evening and most of Monday (husband had some dr. appts. at Barnes Hospital), and I'm afraid some of my Cubs' Karma may have rubbed off on the Cards:) I may be a Cubs fan, but I share your sensory memories. Baseball was the first sport I learned to love, and I remember all the sights and smells of attending games at our local park on Sunday afternoons with my dad. Brings back lots of fond memories.
ReplyDeleteI am not a big fan of neither domestic nor American baseball but this time I knew Redsox had won the championship in the paper. Sorry for you but Uehara, who used to belong to the most popular team here, played successfully as a closing pitcher.
ReplyDelete"Satsuma"? Sounds like a Japanese word. So I googled it and I knew
"One of the English names for the fruit, "satsuma", is derived from the former Satsuma Province in Japan, from which these fruits were first exported to the West" here
Somehow I am happy to find something related to Japan in your post:)
Rose, I had to chuckle when I read your comment about karma. SAM and I watched the games on TV, but I have to admit they had us biting our nails at times. After a few sleepless nights in a row, SAM refused to watch game 6 after the first couple of innings. I watched nearly the entire game but finally gave up and went to bed. The next morning when I learned the final outcome, I felt guilty for leaving the Cards without my support in their hour of need. Bad karma indeed:)
ReplyDeleteCosmos, I'm a little ashamed to admit that I'm more of a fair-weather fan of the Cardinals. I don't make a habit of watching their regular season games, and I only get excited about the team when they reach the World Series. I did note the pitcher you mentioned and admired his skill. I'm glad you liked the inclusion of the satsuma. I have two of the trees, planted last year in our yard. So far only one of them has a couple of the fruits on it, and the poor tree looks like it's not even strong enough to carry them. I'm a little doubtful that the fruit will even ripen successfully, regardless of the fact that the Cardinals lost the series. Maybe next year will prove better for the team as well as the tree.
I love the evocative details in this post! I'm sorry that it wasn't the outcome you were hoping for. As a Mainer, though, I do have to cheer for the Sox.
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