Jon Weisman has a a new column up in which he voices these thoughts
Deep into winter, I start to wonder whether the next year of baseball will bring the same passion for me as the previous one. I find I'm not missing the game all that much. And when I start to think about how much time I spend devoted to the game, I sort of shake my head. The McCourt soap opera didn't exactly help in this respect.
Man I can relate. Just about two years ago I wrote what I consider my best column about the need I had for the baseball season to begin, but I'm just not feeling it right now. I'm plugging away here but the magic I used to feel for spring training is not happening. I'm ready to skip this whole process and get right to the season which is quite unusual for me. In the past I'd sometimes enjoy spring training more then the real season.
I always figured my passion for the game was bigger then the normal fan and that it would stay with me forever. Then I think back to how the Lakers were my biggest passion, how my favorite spectator moment was being in Staples to witness the incredible comeback in game seven against the Trailblazers, how I walked out of that place on a natural high I've rarely felt in my life. Yet, less then a decade later I couldn't care less about the team.
From 1970 - 1980 the Rams were part of my sports trifecta (Rams, Dodgers, Lakers) and football continued to be a huge part of my life until about 1995. Now I rarely watch a game and you could not drag me to a pro football game.
I played some kind of baseball from that age of 7 until 47. From the age of 26 - 30 I played softball around 3 - 4 times a week. Then I cut back to two games a week, Then to one game a week, finally I simply stopped playing several years ago. I don't miss it a bit.
Is that my destiny? Will the Dodgers eventually become something I've left behind?
Or will the sweet sound of sphere meeting wood erase all those doubts just as they have in the past? Maybe I just haven't heard Vinny yet this year proclaim "It is time for Dodger Baseball".
God, I hope so