Baseball and the Wine Enthusiast's Bucket List

There are just certain things every baseball enthusiast and wine enthusiast must do

The Oxford English Dictionary defines the noun “Enthusiasm” this way :

”a strong feeling of excitement and interest in something, and a desire to become involved in it.”

I think we collect many interests but harbor only a small number of enthusiasms in the course of our lives. I’ve had several interests. Some have stayed with me over a long period of time and remain with me now: Golf, gardening, writing, reading, politics. These interests I’ve had for decades and still do. Those interests that I once held but no longer do are in much greater number and include Bonsai, Basketball, Rocks, Chess, Fine Cigars, Bourbon, Cider, France.

This time of year my long-held (55-years now) enthusiasm for the game of baseball really takes hold of me. It’s Spring Training time. The teams are in the desert and Florida and the baseball enthusiast knows that after sitting through a long, dry winter, the season is just a short time away.

The community of baseball enthusiasts seems to have gotten smaller over time. But when one enthusiast is in the presence of another, they usually can spot and identify each other with just a few words. After that, they generally are willing to hold hands as they jump down the baseball rabbit holes together.

There are certain things that every baseball enthusiast feels drawn to and really must do at least once in their lives, if not more: Attend spring training, possess memorabilia, learn and study baseball math (OBP, W.A.R., WCR+, etc), sit above the dugout, catch—or chase down—a major league foul ball, commit to your team no matter how bad.

For those Americans who have developed a deep enthusiasm for wine, it’s not any different. There are certain things they must do in order to properly feed their enthusiasm: