It's Baseball Time Again!! ~ 02 April 2007

For whatever reason this off season I missed baseball more than ever before. Maybe it's because I took in so many Fall League games last October and November (three of the upstarts I had autograph baseballs made opening day rosters: Travis Buck, OAK; Ben Zobrist TPA; Troy Tulowitzki, COL). Maybe it's because of the new baseball glove with my name stitched in it that my cat had made for me as a Christmas present (she's so cool). Maybe I'm itching to get out into the stands at batting practice to catch BP home run balls (got two last year). Maybe it's my local teams hot new Sedona Red and Sonoran Sand uniforms (I liked the purple and teal a lot better honestly). Maybe it's the D'Backs chances with the young blood and the return of Randy Johnson and last year's Cy Young winner, Brandon Webb. Maybe it's something in the chart of this year's season opener. No doubt that's it.

The season's first pitch was hurled by St. Louis ace Chris Carpenter at 7:12 PM, CDT; I know the time as I was riveted to the TV and the accurate clock on the DVR. Despite April Fool's Day the horoscope contains a good degree of trickery and upset. Consider the conjunction of Mercury, Uranus and the North Node in Pisces. Pisces rules the feet and thus, running the bases. Given the behind the scenes nature of Pisces, sneaky little plays fit neatly. Add the unexpected quality of Uranus and trick or surprise efforts become the norm. The season opener bore out this pattern. While Tony LaRussa's Cardinals do more base running antics than most teams, the sacrificial nature of Pisces showed up to start the trend of the year. With a runner on third and the pitcher batting, the Cards attempted the suicide squeeze play - by name, archetype and design, perfectly Piscean. That play didn't work but expect to see more sacrifices, squeeze plays and stolen bases than the average year. Generally speaking, base running and the signals (Mercury) about base running should highlight baseball blogs and analysis.

Pitching also tops the list of baseball news this year. Many aging pitchers (Glavine, Maddox, Clemens, Johnson and so many others) will rely upon the Libra Moon and Ascendant opposing the combative, competitive Sun placement of Aries in Libra's house. Keeping batters off balance by pitching in and out, up and down, and with marked changes of speed keep pitchers on top of their games. As the year progresses and Saturn enters Virgo the last month of the season, expect the pitching emphasis to be all about pin point control. Given the in and out nature of pitching and the lunar location a few more batters are likely to get plunked by pitches this year and they're likely to take to it less kindly than in years past. Yep, there could be more base brawls.

The 2007 season will not be without controversy. Mars lingering in Aquarius stirs a few irresolvable debates. The top one: Barry Bonds, barring a prohibitive injury, will likely become the most prolific home run hitter in the history of the game. With Saturn in his sign (Leo) and opposing the scandel-ridden and drug-induced Neptune, the praise and hoopla just won't be there. His stone wall position on steroids showers him with unfavorable light. There's a reason his shoe size expanded from ten to over thirteen since he's been with San Francisco. It's not the combination of Bay Area foggy air and Wheaties that did that trick. Take a page from America's play book (or at least the play book of Aries Pete Rose), fess up and sports fans will get over it, whether baseball officials do or not. Pretend you never used illegal substances and everyone will try to deprive you of the record you undoubtedly do not deserve. I figure that his total home runs compiled with the aid of performance enhancing drugs would be reduced by the percentage of growth of your shoe size to use a Pisces rule of toe. That'd mean he's down about a third and there's no record in sight.

Oh well, other less controversial records will be broken. Tom Glavine and Randy Johnson could both reach 300 wins and Randy most likely will surpass Roger Clemens this year for number two on the all time strike out list (don't get me started on Roger and his career - check archives from 2005). Other pitchers will reach strike out milestones and many batters will reach base hit plateaus. It's all good for the game and restoring the Jupiter in Sag enthusiasm.

But with Jupiter in Sag, and given the alleged Sagittarian disdain for bias, prejudice and discrimination (that's on the high side of the sign) several bias-breaking barriers (also personified by Saturn opposing Neptune) will be commemorated. April 15th marks the sixtieth anniversary of the first officially recognized African-American player in baseball. The amazing Jackie Robinson and later civil rights activist, began a dazzling career for the Brooklyn Dodgers under the perceptive and brilliant reign of Branch Rickey. Later that same year, Larry Doby began his baseball career with the Cleveland Indians becoming the first African-American in the American League. Doby also put an amazing career behind him that included becoming another "second." Doby assumed the helm of the White sox in 1978, becoming African-American manager behind Frank Robinson.

Last Thursday, preceding the season under the auspices of the healing Chiron in all inclusive Aquarius squaring the female archetype Venus in earthy Taurus, female umpire, Ria Cortesio anchored a corner of the umpiring crew, officiating in an Arizona Diamondbacks/Chicago Cubs game as the Cactus League drew to a close. This was the first time a female umpired a "major league" game, albeit spring training in more than 20 years. Will women umpires make it to the bigs? Absolutely, there's every reason for that to happen. This year, it's unlikely, maybe with Jupiter in Capricorn in '08. With women officials in the NBA, MLB might find a way to get over itself and recognize that women not only understand baseball, many love it.

Much more to come this year in Stars of the Diamond as the controversies and excitement unfolds. It's going to be a great baseball year!

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