Cancelled or Postponed

If only as a parent, I respect Olympic athletes.  I mean, who do you think was driving them to all those club and varsity meets in the dead of winter?  That said, I’ll do fine without watching two weeks’ worth of swimming and gymnastics this summer.

 

Same for Wimbledon, though my wife and daughter may feel differently.  For as long as I can remember, come the women’s finals, my two Serena Williams’ groupies were glued to the screen.  Little changed when Clare moved out.  What was once said about the latest point, game or set was now texted.  The telephone call waited for match’s end.

 

The Tribune noted today that the two-game, Cubs-Cardinals’ series set for June 13-14 in London has been cancelled.  The real question is, why was it ever scheduled?  People flying in to watch such events aren’t what you would consider typical fans, though I’m sure that’s the demographic the Ricketts are shooting for on the North Side.  And does Commissioner Manfred really think he can grow the game in merry old England?  The last English-born player to make it to the majors was who, again?  Bobby Thomson doesn’t count, by the way.  The Staten Island Scot was born in Glasgow.  (Answer: pitcher Chris Reed.)

 

What nobody seems to be paying much attention to is kids’ baseball.  Pony Baseball has postponed the beginning of its season to at least May 1, Little League to May 11, and I wouldn’t hold my breath on either of those dates.  The possible cancelling of youth baseball should worry the commissioner a lot more than any London sojourn.

 

My daughter is an inveterate fan of the game because she got to play it as a kid (and would love to work for one team in particular, hint, hint).  I’d like to think the two of us didn’t need baseball to bond over, but it sure helped along the way.  One more reason for youngsters not to play the game is, eventually, one more reason for adults not to attend games.

 

In Chicago, that is, not London.