Day Forty Six: Jeremy Reed

When you get someone for an All-Star you are always hoping they will be one as well. This is seldom the case in baseball. More so than any other of the major sports it is difficult to gauge talent. And I think we were all being very generous with our gauges when the Mariners traded Freddy Garcia for Jeremy Reed and Miguel Olivo In fact, some might contest that this trade was the final piece of the dismantling of the years of plenty. I don't know if that is true. But it really sucked. Jeremy Reed was shitty. Freddy went on to be a playoff and World Series hero for the ChiSox. Miguel Olivo is a historically bad catcher. It was a bad move. But watching Jeremy Reed prowl (wow, did I just give him that verb) the outfield on a sunny Seattle evening one could make themselves believe (or not care) that one day he would learn to be a big leaguer.

It is kind of like the way the past 24 hours have been feeling regarding this silly old pandemic. The weather is so great, and for me the weather really dictates how effective my spirit will be at fighting of demonic possession (what a true Seattle thing this is and anyone who tells you "I like the grey" can go fuck themselves). When the sun is shining on the evergreens and I'm wearing my basketball shorts in season, things are unbeatable. I feel like nothing can stop me. Yesterday we went to Capitol Forest and had a blast with Winona. Then we got a flat tire on the way out. I was able to deal with the situation calmly and efficiently and never really felt any anger, fear, or anxiety of any sort. There was no concern. The fear of the pandemic was very distant. There have been very few cases in Thurston County so of course there is that aspect of it, but also, it just didn't feel bad. But I know I am squinting into the centerfield sunlight looking at Jeremy Reed trying to make him look like Mike Cameron. And there's really no way to do that. You can't make Jeremy Reed into a useful big leaguer, let alone an All-Star, and you can't make King County look like Thurston. And the coronavirus is still out there and I will continue to be vigilant, but I also vow to enjoy the fuck out of these beautiful days and to live in this present moment. To slough off any residue of the winter and to focus on the good catches that Jeremy Reed is making, not the glaring hole in his swing and the weak ass approach at the plate. Thanks Jeremy Reed for helping me get things in perspective.

And as we move forward into the best times of year here in the Pacific Northwest let's try and keep all these things in perspective. Because as someone who lives in King County and drove Uber and worked with families of small children during the ramp up of this thing let me tell you it is real. But I was also in Thurston County yesterday, and it didn't feel real there until we got food from behind the plastic gate at Panda Express (delicious). I can totally see why someone living in Little Rock, Washington would not think that the pandemic is real. I get it. But I live in King County, ground zero of this shit. And let me tell you it is real. So perhaps we can hold both those truths in our hearts and minds. To be mindful of others reality, but to remain vigilant (but chill!) in our own. And to watch highlight footage of Franklin Gutierrez.

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