For a die-hard baseball fan like me, the arrival of spring represents the re-birth of a restless, dormant spirit. As far as attending sporting events, baseball fans like me go into hibernation each winter. We just feel strange whenever we go to an indoor arena to watch hockey or basketball, for instance. Athletes were meant to contend with the elements, like the grass below them and the sky above them...so it just doesn't feel right.

And we wouldn't dream of slowly watching the color disappear from our fingers while sitting through four quarters of frigid weather at a football game. Watching oversized men battle over possession of the pigskin is an activity that should be confined to the comfort of the couch in your warm living room.

But once April comes, everything changes. It doesn't matter if it's drizzling or snowing, and the outdoor thermometer reads 30 degrees on Opening Day at your favorite baseball park. The spirit inside you makes it feel as warm as one would feel on a late June day.

As I've mentioned before on SmileyBuzz, attending a professional baseball game can make you aware of the most interesting social interactions between large groups of people that you will ever see. No matter where you may go to attend a game - from Boston to San Diego - there are certain rituals and rules established that should be never be broken. One of the cardinal rules, for instance, is that you should never attempt to catch a foul ball in the stands - unless you're absolutely sure you're going to be successful in that effort.

If you happen to misplay catching a foul ball, or - heaven forbid - drop it, you're likely to experience something that only a player on the field can relate to: being booed and heckled by thousands of fans. At least that's what usually happens.

While that may be one way to express your disapproval of your fellow fan's failed effort, we happen to think it's a waste of a perfectly good slice. You can judge for yourself: