Today was opening day at Yankee Stadium. It is now officially baseball season. Baseball holds a special magic for me. It’s a sport that reaches back to a simpler time, which is so evident in its form of measurement – the inning. Not a quarter or a half…no time limit is imposed. Simply play until each team records 3 outs, and then continue that for 9 innings. Time seems to disappear as the innings wane and the game progresses. And then there is the number references: 9 innings, 3 outs, 3 strikes, 4 balls, 9 men in the field, 4 bases, the 7th inning stretch. All the numbers have deep psychological & mythological nuances. Hint: 3 is the trinity, 4 is the quaternity (the predecessor to the trinity: earth, wind, fire, water), 7 chakras and 9 being the number of enlightenment.

Of course, that knowledge is not necessary to really enjoy the game. What I think I like best about baseball is that it signals the lazy days of summer. It hearkens back to simpler times and its start seems to signal the start of that time of year where we can indulge in simpler things.

So here’s to the boys of summer and their timeless game.