A Survivor’s Guide to Baseball Withdrawals

Apr 1, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; General view of the stands at O.co Coliseum after the game between the Oakland Athletics and the Cleveland Indians was postponed due to inclement weather. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

It’s no coincidence that the end of baseball season coincides with dreary weather and gray skies. For many of us, November through February are the longest four months of the year and there are really only two seasons: baseball season and not baseball season. This amazing 2014 season (I can only say that now, a month after the A’s season has ended), had more than its fair share of action and left us wanting more. And regardless of the team you were rooting for (if any), watching two wild card teams who fought so hard just to make it into the post season take it all the way to game seven of the World Series is some of the most captivating baseball I’ve ever seen.

So all this build up only to bring us down to the fact that baseball season is now officially over. There are a few stages to baseball withdrawals. The first stage is denial. After a long day at work you will find yourself going to that comfortable spot on the sofa, beer (or other refreshment of choice) in one hand, remote in the other. You flip to that oh so familiar channel that should have the game on. But wait, there’s no game. You scratch your head, how can this be? No baseball game to watch, there must be a game on, this just can’t be!

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Then it hits you. What am I going to do with myself for the next four months? You have reached stage two: depression. Your life has been so consumed with baseball for the past 212 days, give or take, that you just can’t imagine how life as you know it will go on. You find yourself staring into space daydreaming about what next spring will bring. Some don’t eat much, others eat way more than usual. Your alarm goes off in the morning and you just don’t feel like getting out of bed. And when you do finally get out of bed you realize you have been wearing your favorite team’s sweatshirt for three days and have not showered since you put it on.

Everyone around better watch out when stage three hits – anger. Now you’re just so mad. Ugh I can’t even say that without getting more mad! Let’s say angry, yes angry for all the time and energy you put into a team that let you down yet again. Angry at the other team and its fans for doing better than yours. And finally, angry that you don’t have any baseball to be angry about anymore!

Well now you have made it to the final stage, acceptance, and you are ready to move on. So here are some things that will get you through the next few months until two of the most lovely words in the English language are spoken again, “Play Ball!”