The 2005 Baseball Season

Baseball season is nearly here. For the Giants, it begins next Tuesday as they take on the Dodgers in San Francisco. Based on their website, I'm guessing L.A.'s theme this year is "Think Blue". Not very original, but S.F. isn't exactly flexing its creative muscles either. The Giants are introducing "Orange Fridays", which encourages fans to show their spirit by wearing as much orange as possible. I've always been a fan of the black and orange, but mostly of the black. I can only take the orange in small doses. Steering clear of the park on Fridays sounds like a good idea.

Despite the news that Barry Bonds will miss the first part of the season, I'm looking forward to attending games at SBC Park. They've expanded the food menu this year. In addition to clam chowder, garlic fries and sushi, fans will also have their choice of chicken adobo burritos, Chinese food (from Panda Express) and more. I know I shouldn't get excited about Chinese fast food, but it tickles the brain thinking about eating from a rice bowl while attending the game. I still think bringing dim sum to the park would be hilarious. It's a new spin on an old pastime.

This is probably as good a spot as any to say something about steroids. I rarely use the word "hate", but in this case, it's appropriate. I hate steroids and their use in baseball. I hate how they're being used in every sport. It's frustrating to see the league responding so slowly and timidly to the situation. I wish they would step up, take a stronger stand and make a genuine effort to clean up baseball.

One of this year's promotions at SBC Park will be the Charlie Brown Bobblehead Doll. None of the previous baseball bobbleheads ever really appealed to me. Honestly, most of them are creepy with their wobbly oversized heads and dead eyes. But the one of Charlie Brown looks cool. He's wearing the comic-strip-style cap and a Giants jersey. To me, he is the sport's perfect representative. He's hardworking and steroid-free. He gives everything to the game he loves even though he can't play it well enough to win. If I could, I'd get it, but the promotion is only for the first 10,000 kids (14 and under) and it just seems wrong to adopt solely for the purpose of obtaining a collectible.