On this baseball eve I felt it was only right to kick things off with my favorite scene from one of my favorite baseball movies. Yes, this blog always meets at the intersection of sports and popular culture, but for me James Earl Jones iconic speech from Field of Dreams always means just a bit more, especially now. Maybe it’s because things are decidedly strange in the world, or because times can feel tough, but as his booming voice states, our age-old escape is there waiting for us once again.

Sure, its usual place in the American sports hierarchy has changed over time as it probably sits third now behind the NFL and NBA, but its very nature is still second to none. For my money, nothing tops a summer afternoon at the ballpark with a cold beverage in hand, cheering on (and heckling) your team. No matter the city or the venue it always feels special to take in a game at one of the game’s scenic diamond vistas.

Admittedly, there was a time where I fell a bit out of love with our national pastime. I was consumed with the gridiron and the ice as I moved through my late teens and early 20’s. I still followed my Yankees, but I gave up on paying closer attention to the sport as a whole for a while, and frankly it was a giant mistake. The summer of 2017 and the Yankees magical run to the ALCS roped me all the way back in and from there I have counted down the days to watching baseball all summer long. It has felt good to be back in that mindset as the on-field product is returning to the level of expectations we fans have always held.

Sure, there are things that I’d like to see change in the sport. From the overbearing nature of analytics to the proliferation of strikeouts, it’s not all good. But the rule changes from the 2023 season were a big step in the right direction as there were more balls in play, more stolen bases, and just more flat-out action in major league games than there have been in some time. The sport’s electrifying crop of young talent has gone a long way towards making it all more engaging as well. And no, I don’t mean they have done this by celebrating and acting brashly, but rather that they have accomplished this with their actual on field play.

The young guns are complimented by some of the most dynamic and exciting superstars we have known in the history of the sport. They bring versatility, production and pure fun to our national pastime every single day. They’ve broken records and show levels of performance we never thought would be rivaled, let alone surpassed. We are lucky to watch them as fans and we can only hope they stay healthy enough to contribute to the game’s history for a long time to come.

With all that said, there is the matter of predictions. While I did feature picks at the end of each 30 Clubs in 30 Days preview, my full playoff selections are included below. While it can be hard to say right now, I am going to go with the Phillies over the Texas Rangers in the World Series. In looking over the rosters I feel they are two of the more complete teams and have gained valuable experience, especially as players come back healthy for them. Only one team will get to celebrate like little kids when it is all said and done, and who knows, they may not have even emerged from the pack yet. One thing is for sure, I think we are in for a fun summer.

You can find me on Twitter @YNWA9623 and subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Also, check out our new Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. We have also launched a new podcast which carries the same name as the Instagram account. We are just six episodes in, but we have a lot more coming so stay tuned. Enjoy the season everyone, the boys of summer have returned, now take it away Harry!