Welcome back, baseball. We missed you

Baseball is back, and what a comfort.

The daily rhythm of the sport –– complete with competition, drama, layers of storylines, and athletic heroics –– is soothing and exciting, all at once.

Opening Day, of course, was a hit for LA: Fans beamed and cheered. The Dodgers won. Even the Angels prevailed. 

There was ample excitement elsewhere in the league, too –– from the impressive debut of top prospects, to a wild inning in St. Louis (the Rays and Cardinals each scored 6+ runs in the sixth).

Baseball is back, and what a comfort. Getty Images

And what a display at Oracle Park in San Francisco: A retired Navy serviceman sang an epic rendition of the national anthem while pyrotechnics filled the sky with a US flag of red, white and blue smoke. 

It was a stirring reminder that baseball is the national pastime, aligned each year with spring: refreshing, renewing, full of possibility.

It’s a game that lifts our spirits, unifies our community, and helps us escape –– if only for a time –– the strife of politics, traffic, and quotidian life.

When people let us down, baseball’s always there. The game will go on as scheduled, absent rain or an emergency. 

As part of daily life, MLB is a soothing balm, whether we’re watching intently or hear the crack of the bat in the background as we’re working.

The long season reminds us to slow down and stay grounded. The afternoon sun, the cool evening air, and the leisurely pace of most games are calming and reassuring and restorative. 

Ditto the familiarity of the game’s traditions, even as the league evolves.

And of course: The Dodgers bring a special magic to LA. 

The nine-time World Series champs help unite a disparate city –– and tee up vibrant discussions to the neighborhood barbecue. 

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People of different backgrounds connect, bond, and build friendships over a shared passion for all things Dodger blue.

This year, LAD’s quest for a World Series three-peat will be among the defining storylines of the season. 

The league’s new Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System –– aka “robot umpires” behind the plate –– will be fun to track, as well.

Indeed, for those who love storytelling, baseball leads in the standings. 

Each game is a story, each series is a story, each team is a story with multiple, ever-changing sub-stories, each rivalry is a story, the arc of the season is a story –– and on and on it goes.

We can’t wait to see how the various, overlapping plots unfold as we enjoy the comfort that baseball brings. 

Play ball!