Change of Season

The winter has seemed a bit warmer than usual this year. Even though North Bay suffered through its traditional week of -35 degree weather, it has been much warmer than some of the others I have experienced. And as the temperatures inch slowly but steadily to zero, the snow begins to melt, the sidewalks turn to slush, and the smell of baseball begins to edge its way into my consciousness.

Often in early March, when my hips and knees start to tell me in their subtle way that they’ve had enough goaltending for one season, the weather turns warm and the number of skates left in the hockey season whittles down to single digits. I get a strange feeling at this time of year, a curious mix of relief, disappointment, and excitement. Relief that I can rest my knees and hips that take a pounding every winter dropping to the ice to make butterfly saves and getting up only to do it again ten seconds later. Disappointment that hockey season is winding down and is merely weeks away from being over. Excitement that baseball season is just around the corner.

This feeling has asserted itself early, coinciding with the warmer weather. There’s at least six weeks of hockey left, and yet the weather makes me feel as though I should be trading in my goalie stick and catching glove for a baseball bat and first baseman’s mitt any time now. Lately when I’ve picked up the baseball that I always have sitting on my desk and toss it in the air, I can't help but think that baseball season is just around the corner. But it isn’t.

It’s true that I love playing hockey more than anything, but I’ve played baseball longer than any sport I’ve ever taken up. For that reason, it will always be something that I look forward to. It is the ultimate summer sport, where most of the time you are either standing around in the field or on the base paths or sitting in the dugout. It’s no surprise that I, a goaltender, would be naturally drawn to baseball because, much like goaltending, baseball is a game played as much in your head as it is on the field.

Baseball is all about instinct. That instinct comes from experience. My baseball instincts are what make me a decent ball player. Sure being in good shape and being able to hit and catch and throw helps, but having the kind of honed instincts that can only come from years of playing baseball makes you that much better.

Knowing what base to throw the ball to before it gets to you, or even before the pitch is thrown; knowing the score and the situation and reacting the right way; knowing when to go for the extra base and knowing when to play it safe. I don’t have to think about these kinds of things anymore because I’ve played baseball for so long.

Last year I played for my third team in the past three seasons. Even though most of these guys I knew from hockey, it still took some time to get used to my new teammates and find my place. The plan is to play for the sporting store again, and I must say I’m looking forward to it. We were a competitive team that finished high in the standings, a farcry from the 0-26 season I endured the year before. We made it to the semi-finals and all things considered had a pretty good year.

I’m looking forward to doing it all over again.

-matt