There are so many ways to be a baseball fan — you can be a stats person, a hometown loyalist, a fan of one slugger in particular, or just into the notion of sitting outside with your friends and drinking beer. I grew into a fan reading great baseball books, many by David Halberstam, who died last year. Check out his October 1964 if you want to see how baseball can echo the struggles of society at large. Or just check out Zach Hample’s Watching Baseball Smarter if you want a fun primer on the sport.

The beginning of the season is about optimism, so here’s to the fact that everyone’s team is still in post season contention. I hope your team makes it.

    

    

Photos from misschatter, , kellyhafermann, rocknroll91, philliefan99 and ennailuj.