John Miller, a Belgian-American journalist, and a player/coach for the Brussels Kangaroos, is in his fourth year of writing Old World Pastime, a take on baseball as lived in 21th century Europe.
– Hey Babe, how’s chops?
– Not much going on, hit BP every day, some booze, some broads, what’s going on with you?
– Finishing up my baseball playing in Belgium, moving to the U.S. On the road in Australia this week for work. Following the post-season a bit. Weird catching night games in the morning.
– Sounds good, are you really quitting playing?
– Well, I’m 34, time to hang’em up, focus just on work and the home front for a while.
– Ah, a reasonable man, I see, but you’ll never forget.
– No, damn it, I know. On Sunday, I stopped by a ballgame in Perth, saw the grass, I wanted to hit fungoes to the third baseman. I wanted to get up early and run a camp all day.
– That’s good, I’ll drink to that.
– Babe, got a confession, I kind of have a crush on the Yankees
– What? Have you to told Orioles yet?
– No, I’m afraid she won’t understand, her feelings will be hurt.
– Yeah, teams are like that. But sometimes a man can’t help himself.
– I know, look at Jorge Posada, he’s a catcher, he hits without batting gloves, I mean that’s all I need.
– But John, the Yankees?
– Yeah, I know, there’s Rivera, too, the way he bounces softly right before going into the set, love that.
– And Jeter…
– Yeah, that damn Jeter.
– Well, at least you still have A-Rod to hate.
– I know Babe, I do hate him, so that’s OK, but I still feel guilty
– Let it go, John, you’re forgetting the natural superiority complex you should have.
– Huh?
– Well, do you know what I and the Yankees have in common?
– Hot dogs?
– No, John, we’re both from Baltimore. The Yankees were originally from Crab City before they moved to New York in 1903 and became the Highlanders.
– Fine, but they’re in New York now, the team of billionaires and bankers, it’s sick.
– John, they’re just borrowing a team from Baltimore. Life is long, they’ll be back soon. Look at it this way, Baltimore baseball is so good it could afford to give away the Yankees.
– Wow, I’m not cheating on my team in my heart anymore. I’m still faithful to Baltimore. Thanks Babe.
– Of course, John, now go drink a beer and hit some fungoes.
Apologies for the delay this week, have been traveling, but still here for a bit on oldworldpastime@gmail.com