Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Something baseball this way comes

Baseball is closing in. The first Spring training game for the Mets is scheduled for March 1st against the Washington Nationals. That's only three weeks away! I can't express the excitement I feel. I love this game.

The best thing about being a Mets fan is the three great announcers we have: Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling and Gary Cohen. They make every game enjoyable. They're never stupid, are always engaged in the game, and they're funny and kind, to boot. Watching a game with them, you feel like you're hanging out with good friends who have a ton of baseball experience. Even when the Mets are losing, you can still have a great time with Keith, Ron and Gary.


The games they announce are great for kids who are learning to play baseball. They give tons of helpful pointers and explain how the players do all those amazing things. For instance, here's one of their tips. When you're in the outfield running after a ball, for the last bit of your dash, run on your toes so your eyes aren't jiggling around as you close in on the ball. Good advice.

They're also enthusiastic about the opposing team, when appropriate. So many announcers only focus only on the home team, but not our Mets guys. They know all about the opposing team, the players, the manager, the trainers, the history of the team, everything. And they're happy to praise a great play by the opposing team. That's rare these days, which is regrettable. It adds depth to the game, no matter which side you're on.

In other words, they're professionals. I wish baseball in general would take a cue from them. Most announcers are a bit more annoying than the commercials, but we Mets fans lucked out. Mind you, the team doesn't play well, but we love our announcers! I can't wait to see them again. Baseball is coming!