Batter up!

This afternoon at 4:10 when my Cleveland Guardians start their Opening Day game against the Kansas City Royals, I'll be sitting in a classroom listening to a presentation about college issues that are, granted, Very Important, but the whole time I'll feel in my bones the passing radio waves carrying the voice of Tom Hamilton, the voice of the Guardians and 2025 recipient of the Ford C. Frick award from the Baseball Hall of Fame, the man who has the best home-run call in baseball (and if you don't believe me, listen here), the man whose voice provides the soundtrack of my summer, and I'll be wondering what kind of idiot schedules a meeting at 4 p.m. on baseball's opening day?

That would be me. I am that idiot. 

At least I'll be able to listen to the rest of the game on the radio on the drive home, I tell myself, but it's not the same. And if I need to hear Tom Hamilton's home-run call at any time, I can just press the button on the Tom Hamilton bobblehead my adorable children got us for our anniversary in December, a bobblehead equipped to play recordings of several of Hamilton's trademark calls.

A few weeks ago I attended Marietta College's home opener, but bad weather and schedule issues have prevented me from attending any other games. I probably won't get to a Guardians game until midsummer. Rumor has it that my department chair, now on sabbatical, will be attending the Guardians home opener, unless one of us tackles him first and steals his tickets. Today, though, we should all be glued to the radio awaiting the first pitch--except for those of us stuck in late-afternoon meetings.  

Reason number 4,722 why I should retire right now.

Marietta College home opener