Nat

The Red Sox are winning 10-1 in the 5th inning of the first World Series game. (Now it’s 11-1.) This is a dream come true for a Sox fan like me. I’ve thought often over the years about why watching other people play sports makes so many of us happy. I’m not sure I can really explain it, except that it is great fun to see adults do a job that lets them act like kids.

Last Friday, my wife and I went to the Homecoming football game at our local high school. After falling behind 20-6 at the end of the first half and seeming to be out of the game, they came back in the second half thanks to a fumble returned 98 yards for a touchdown and to 150 yards rushing by their star player. They tied with 2 minutes to go and won in overtime. The fans stomped their feet and chanted, and the coaches ran to the players and tackled them to the ground with joy.

Sometimes I think we don’t allow ourselves to play enough, and at least our emphasis on sports reminds us that games are beautiful and that playing them is a good idea.

It’s now 13-1 at the end of the fifth inning. What a way to start.

Tonight’s easy. Daisuke Matsuzaka, in case you aren’t Japanese or a Boston Red Sox fan, pitched his first game for the Red Sox today in Kansas City. He gave up only one run and six hits, with 10 strikeouts and a walk.

Throughout, he smiled and appeared to enjoy himself. The Red Sox won 4-1, and it appears that the $103 million dollar pitcher from Japan’s Seibu Lions has the potential to be a major superstar.

The best thing about watching baseball for me is that the season is so long, we can project nearly any conclusion we want in the early days of the season. If Dice-K pitches like this for the next 6 months, we will call him a superstar.

I love his attitude and his confidence on the mound. It always delights me to see a person who loves what he does. Go D-Mat.