“The one constant through all the years … has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past … . It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again.”
— Terence Mann, Field of Dreams
The 2016 World Series champion Chicago Cubs* have announced their spring-training reporting dates. Pitchers and catchers are due to arrive in Mesa on Feb. 14.
In other words: It’s 37 days to spring.
We are SO having Chicago-style hot dogs for lunch on Valentine’s Day. And probably either gooey butter cake or Ted Drewes’ Frozen Custard for dessert, because Ron’s Cardinals report the same day.
Spring is coming. I am at peace.
Emily
* I promise I won’t be insufferable about this, but I really never expected to utter that phrase. Let me have my moment. If history is any indicator, it may never happen again in my lifetime.
Red Fork Hippie 
I’ve been racking my brain to recall where Chicago dogs were available in Allentown… “were” is quite accurate as they went away over the years… Yocco’s chili sauce vanquishes all…
Yocco dogs are a thing of beauty. Nearly six years later, Ron is still talking about them.