Reasons to Be Cheerful

Hey, I know it's been a little grim around here of late—and I know I've been one of the leading doomsayers.  I still can't say I'm very optimistic about, well, anything Yankee these days.

But hey, it's baseball time again.  The season is starting, the spring is (sort of) here, and this commercial Hal is not going to ruin Christmas for me.  And that's what we have ahead of us:  our big, beautiful, six-month Christmas of baseball (or Chanukkah, or Kwanza, depending upon one's religious affiliation).

So, Reasons to Be Cheerful:

—Aaron Judge.  Isn't it great that such a character can exist in the modern game—and that he plays for our team?  I know, I know, I've been pretty leery about his future, and I don't expect him to last.  But isn't it great that this great big, shy, easy-going, gap-toothed, mythological Paul Bunyan galoot  of an individual plays for the Yankees?  I hope he hits a hundred home runs.

—The strong possibility that Zieg Hal will lose his shirt trying to build his international sports empire (Hey, I never said schadenfreude couldn't be a reason to be cheerful.).

—The fact that The Great One, Mariano Rivera, has retired, so I can safely worship his past accomplishments, without having to grow an ulcer on every pitch he threw anymore.

—The filigree that still rings most of the Stadium, even in its latest and worst manifestation.

—Those Yankee Rat Dogs.  Yum.

—The flair with which Miguel Andujar, El Matador, releases the bat after lining another ball off—or over—the wall.

—CC's ursine physique—and the skid marks his knees make in the infield grass.

—Getting to see if The Gleyber can really be the star he looks like.

—How the trains still rumble past the outfield walls.  And the sunlight when they come out of the tunnel.

—Seeing how the Bronx, for all its continuing poverty and problems, has slowly but surely pulled itself back up on its feet.

—Knowing that even if Boston continues its present pace of winning 4 rings in the last 15 years and we never win another one...it will still be over 60 years and we'll all be dead before they can surpass our 27.

—Knowing that the Dodgers have a chance to lose three straight World Series this fall.

—Getting to root for both Luke Voit and Greg Bird to have terrific seasons and prove us all wrong.

—Knowing how much Red Sox fans will hate it if Epstein's Cubs beat them in the Fall Classic.

—Watching Tiger Tanaka, a real pro in every way.

—Understanding how much more joy all of us take out of the game, everyday, than Coops Cashman, Zieg Hal, and the entire New York press corps have in their entire lives.

—Getting to have seen, in person or on a screen, every single great Yankee player, game, and moment, and/or read about them in mind-boggling detail.

—Everybody on this wonderful blog (I know, I know: pandering.  And anybody from Brooklyn here tonight?).

—Getting to hear the Master, Mr. Sterling, and his feisty sidekick from the Bay State, take at least one more turn around the circuit.

It's Opening Day.  Play ball!