TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | APR 2019 39
It’s finally spring sports fans and baseball is in the air! The temperature is
warming up and another jam-packed Tybee summer is on the horizon. We
made it through another St. Patrick’s Day (well, most of us I hope) and all
of the shenanigans just in time for sports filled April.
I have to start out paying homage to perhaps the greatest sporting event
of the year that happens to grace the April calendar: The Masters; a
tradition unlike any other (heard that one before?). Yes, THE Masters is
upon us with all of its majesty, beauty and mystique. I have been fortunate
to attend the “toonament” quite a few times and one thing remains the
same - television doesn’t even begin to reveal the beauty of the course
and scenery. It’s just so beautiful and you must try to experience in person
if you can, if just for a practice round and even if you don’t even really like
golf! This year should be a dandy, as so many of the big name golfers are
playing so well as of late. There are so many that you could pick and no
one could argue with you. As of this writing I am debating between Justin
Thomas and Rory McIlroy, but we shall see. It’s going to be a super 4 days
and, as they say, the Masters doesn’t get started until the second nine on
Sunday. I’ll be glued to the television for sure just like a lot of you!
And then comes the RBC Heritage on Hilton Head the next week, right
across the Savannah River entrance. It’s always a refreshing and relaxing
week for players and fans after the pressure and intensity of the Masters
just days earlier. The only negative is going from paying $3 a beer at the
Masters to $6 at the Heritage. And from pimento cheese sandwiches to hot
dogs. Don’t get me started!
Play Ball! Another baseball season is upon us and we’re all hoping that
the Braves will build on their success and NL East crown from next year.
They’ve added some offensive weapons like Josh Donaldson and even
brought Brian McCann back, who will be great in the clubhouse. I can’t wait
to see Ronald Acuna in his sophomore season - every time he comes to the
plate its “Must See TV.” He is a grown man for sure. Hopefully some of the
younger pitching will continue to step up and improve, as I’m not sure you
can go too far with Julio Teheran as one of your aces! Hopefully they will be
in it from start to finish and make 2019 another fun and interesting season.
It seems like some of the familiar faces from last year should be right there
again like Boston, the Yankees, LA and Houston. Lots of chalk but we shall
see how it shakes out.
By the time of this writing we will have crowned (or come close to it) another
NCAA basketball champion. I’ll go out on a limb and say it was Virginia. The
NBA playoffs will be starting and take us all the way to Independence Day
(again) and the NHL playoffs will be underway and tolerable to watch (for
the most part). But April to me is about Opening Day in baseball and The
Masters and I’m good with that! Happy Sporting and we’ll see you in May!
SPORTS TEASER By George Hassell