On The Fly

It’s back. Baseball—yes, baseball ! If you’re someone who finds themselves inexplicably drawn to this peculiar ritual, let’s be honest with each other: it’s a bit odd, right? I mean, 162 games. That’s a lot of hot dogs, a lot of standing around, and a lot of grown men in oddly tailored trousers spitting with remarkable precision. And yet, here we are, poised on the precipice of another season. Thursday, March 26, 2026, to be precise—Opening Day. It’s a curious thing, this Opening Day. You walk into a stadium, or turn on the TV, and suddenly, everyone is infected with a highly contagious strain of . . . Optimism . It’s a spectacular form of collective amnesia. All of last year’s fumbles, the endless losing streaks, the existential dread of watching your bullpen implode in the eighth inning—poof. Gone. It’s entirely replaced by a wide-eyed, childlike belief that this year, finally, the baseball gods will smile upon us. The Cycle of Hope and Despair As a Cubs fan, I know this cycle intim...

In this episode,  Opening Day Magic & the Promise of 162 . . . It’s back, baseball–yes, baseball! If you’re like me, someone who finds themselves inexplicably drawn to this peculiar ritual, let’s be honest- it’s a bit odd, right? I mean, 162 games. One hundred and sixty-two. That’s a lot. There’s a lot of hot dogs, a lot of standing around, and a lot of men in oddly tailored trousers spitting. And yet, here we are, poised on the precipice of another season, Thursday, March 27, 2025, to be precise– Opening Day . It’s a curious thing, this Opening Day. You walk into a stadium, and suddenly, everyone is filled with . . . O ptimism . You know, it’s a form of collective amnesia. All the previous year’s fumbles and foibles, the endless losing streaks, the existential dread of watching your team implode – all of it disappears. Replaced by a sort of wide-eyed, childlike belief that this year, finally, this year will be different. As a Cubs fan, I know it well, this cycle of hope and d...

In this episode - Baseball by Ken Burns . . . The signs are all around you. Leaves on the trees have started to pop. Aqua blue skies form the backdrop over an eye-pleasing manicured green diamond, spotted with bases so white they appear to glow against the brown clay of the infield. The sweet smells of spring. Right now, it's a picture in your mind—a visit to the Ballpark. Today, April 7, 2022, the baseball season officially opens. With 162 games to play, 30 teams step confidently into the opening day with renewed hope, allowing me to set the tone. Baseball - by Ken Burns (Audio only segment) Baseball fans rejoice! This is your year. Please continue to practice safe habits, get out and treasure America's national pastime. I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.