It's the end of March. Spring has finally sprung and Easter weekend has come and gone.
This is the most wonderful time of the year.
As a softball player and a baseball fan, I plan to do my concurrent weekly write ups on what's happening in the league. So, this week, the week before opening day, I will introduce the sports writer part of myself to you.
I was born and raised in a small town outside of Philadelphia. Before you say anything, I'm not a bandwagoner. I love Philadelphia sports and will stick by our teams through the good and the bad (and I’ll admit that there's been more bad than good in recent years). There really is nothing better, however, than relaxing on the couch after a long day to watch the fightin' Phils.
My love of baseball is in my blood. My paternal grandfather instilled a love for baseball in me from a young age. I can remember going to watch the local minor league team with him during the summer, eating a Nathan’s hot dog, and giggling as Chase, the bat dog for the Trenton Thunder, carried the last batter’s bat off the field after each at bat. As I grew older, my passion for the game was taught to me by my stepfather, and I couldn’t thank him enough. He's the reason I picked up a bat myself and began a career in the sister sport, began a collection of Phillies cards as a fifth grader, and why I study the mechanics of my favorite jersey-clad superstars.
I only hope that this passion fuels a smile from above, as the man who instilled the love for the game looks down upon me.
I am the type of person who will argue with the television-deaf umpires and yell at the athletes when their mechanics are off, causing an error or a bad swing. I am also notorious for playing manager, making decisions and calling the bullpen whenever I feel it's necessary.
Come to think of it, I should really try my hand at a fantasy team.
As a sophomore in high school, I became involved with a grassroots movement out of Charlotte, North Carolina. Rick Curti, a California native who relocated to North Carolina in 2005, took notice of the state’s lack of Major League Baseball, and wanted to do his part to help. Charlotte is a growing community with dedicated sports fans that deserve a major league team. This gave birth to Curti’s brain child, the Charlotte Bats.
My involvement with the Bats only strengthened my love for the sport. I spent the 2013 season watching statistics, scores, and fan attendance to see which of the 30 current MLB teams would be best to relocate to Charlotte. I loved every minute of my work with the Bats, and plan on becoming heavily involved again once I'm out of college.
Anyway, that’s who I am as a fan. I hope my passion and love for the sport becomes evident in my writing this season.
Please enjoy and take no offense to my preferences and predictions. They are my own opinion.
Coming up next week: Katelynn’s Opening Day Predictions 2016
