The sun has set on another baseball season. Fire Sky

It was a good run. The team went a lot farther than I ever could have hoped and it was a lot of fun (albeit a LOT of work). I’ve always been filled with sadness when baseball season ends. As a fan, it’s hard to end the season as anything but a champion, and it sucks knowing that it will be a whole year until the team could be in the same position.

Now that I’m behind the scenes, though, I have a different kind of sadness. Last night, walking through the belly of the stadium, I said goodbye to the game day staff. They’re the people that only work during game hours. Some are students, but many are older and retired. They work at the stadium because they love it. They love baseball, they love the team, and they love interacting with people. They’re only around when there is a game, which means it will be six months until they’ll roam the halls again. It’s hard to say goodbye, especially when so much can happen in half a year.

A lot of people work incredibly hard, more than just the 25 guys on TV. Today at work, the entire coaching staff walked through the office and thanked each and every one of us individually for all the time and effort we put in this year. It was a classy move, even though I almost jumped out of my skin when I turned around in my chair to discover Joe Torre, Larry Bowa, Don Mattingly, and Mariano Duncan a foot behind me, staring at pictures of Maddie. It’s nice to feel appreciated.

So, summer is officially over. I can really start ramping up for the holidays, the birthdays and anniversaries, and all the other fun activities that come with this time of year. And, of course, I get to spend more time with my favorite fun activity.

look at that lip

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a tiny pink lip to chew on.