re: DAT: 2023-2024 Off Season Thread

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100% a mental creation. One of those baseball oddities that they allowed to blossom into a mind virus.

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Well, I’ll share a little backstory about that.

It was the year 2005, and my beloved Astros had made me suffer long enough, esp in 2004. An old high school friend went on to become a VP for MiLB and had secured 24 tickets for me to the ‘04 WS, and they were overnighted to me just prior to losing to the Cardinals. I drank myself to sleep that early morning and was awakened by the doorbell at lunchtime the next day by the FedEx delivery of tickets that could never be used.

But alas, this was ‘05, and this time we won. And I had 18 tickets. The only thing my friend asked in return for this incredible gift? Pictures of the batter’s eye at MMP from behind home plate.

You see, there were league-wide complaints surrounding its effects. Our pitchers were unhittable. And yes, our lineup outside of Berkman, couldn’t hit its weight, esp vs decent pitching.

So I share this only to say, there is some kind of mystique, an aura, if you will, that has involved this park and the backdrop for those entrusted to compete with a bat in their hands.

Baseball, like many things in life, comes with unexpected circumstances.