What Keeps Me Going

So, we're pretty much into the heart of baseball season and when your team is 2 games under .500, it's a little easy to start looking forward to the start of football season. However, there are a few things that can pull serious baseball fans of the mid-season slump (yes, even Nationals fans).

4) Seeing your highly-touted draft pick get called up for the first time:
I find myself in such a situation today. Former Bulldog superstar Gordon Beckham has been called up to the bigs and will be playing this afternoon with the Good Guys. Beckham was drafted 8th overall by the Sox last season and has been tearing it up in Birmingham and just recently in Charlotte. To the untrained eye, this might seem trivial, even mundane, but this provides a chance for every Sox fan to potentially see the start of a brilliant career. It's his first major league game and, fingers crossed, I'll be able to say I watched him wildly succeed our expectations right from the start.

3) The grand slam:
The bases are loaded. Everyone is thinking it, but nobody says it. Chances are the opposing pitcher has already thought about it. Hold your breath until the ball cracks off the bat like a gunshot and scream your lungs out until every last one of those runs crosses the plate. If you're fortunate enough to see one live, thank your lucky stars.

2) The walk-off home run:
You've sat through almost 15 innings of mind-numbingly defensive baseball and you know you're either running on 4 hours of sleep tomorrow or showing up late to work. There are few things more simultaneously exhilarating and relieving than finally exhaling and letting your shoulders drop when that ball drops into the outfield seats. Five minutes ago, you were close to nodding off in your seat, but you'll be damned if you're not checking ESPNews when you get home to see the replays. (Check out this gem from 2008, courtesy of Jim Thome.)

1) The no-hitter:
One of the ultimate achievements for a pitcher, the no-hitter is a combination of groin-grabbing excitement and vomit-inducing anxiety. When a pitcher has a shot at a no-no, you don't talk to him, you don't look at him, and you certainly don't mention the possibility of a no-hitter to anyone, anywhere. Heck, even TV commentators will avoid discussing the possibility until that 27th out has been made. Since 1876, there have only been 257 regulation no-hitters. So, yeah. It's a big deal.