It was a sad day when MLB called off spring training this year. We had tickets for our annual pilgrimage to see two games the following week. It doesn’t seem like spring without our trip to sit in the stands and enjoy the warm spring air in Arizona. There is something about eating peanuts, drinking beverages of choice, and talking baseball with random people that helps me find my place in the American landscape. It is my chance to scout out this year’s Cubs and, like my uncle before me,  predict postseason glory. I love to listen to the Chicago accents from fans shouting advice to the dugout. I love the beer guys making the rounds and joking with the crowd. I love the sound when the bat connects with the ball for a big hit. This loss was only the beginning. No Opening Day at the end of March. No obsessing over the starting lineup and the rotation of pitchers. No afternoon baseball naps to the comforting sound of the murmur of the crowd. A glimmer of hope this week when I heard a news report that MLB is considering ways to televise games in spring training stadiums with no one in the stands. So far this season, I have to settle for watching baseball movies. Stupid virus.