Play Ball!
It's MLB opening day. Plus, a few date reminders and an update on paid subscriptions.
Play Ball!
🎵 Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd;
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don’t care if I never get back.
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don’t win, it’s a shame.
For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out,
At the old ball game. 🎵
Thursday, March 28, 2024, is MLB Opening Day! Yay!
I’ve dusted off my baseball cap and moved the MLB TV app to the front page of my phone. I am ready for the regular season to begin.
There are so many ways to enjoy the sport of baseball: little league, high school, college, and minor and major leagues. And yes, I would even include the great sports of fast and slow-pitch softball. I make no secret about it, I love baseball. No, I'm not one of those fans who memorize every statistic, know every player, and can recite the rule book chapter and verse. I don't even play fantasy baseball. I just enjoy the sport. One of the things I enjoy most is baseball radio. There's nothing like listening to a game, especially since many games are played in the afternoon while I'm at work. Also live radio games aren’t subject to blackouts like TV. Ha!
Did you know Oklahoma has a rich history when it comes to baseball? There is a fascinating article about it in the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
According to the article, the first organized baseball game in Indian Territory was played in Krebs on July 4, 1882.
"A crowd of three hundred gathered to watch Krebs host nearby Savanna. Using sacks of hay and cans for bases, the game included fan violence, gambling, and anguish for the Krebs catcher, who played without a glove or mask. Krebs prevailed thirty-five to four."
Oklahoma is home to two minor league teams, the Double-A Tulsa Drillers and the Triple-A Oklahoma City Baseball Club. Both are farm teams of the major league Los Angeles Dodgers. There's a good chance someone you watch play in Oklahoma City or Tulsa could be called up to play in Los Angeles and be that next Hall of Famer.
Oklahoma City’s first home game is April 2, 2024, against the Albuquerque Isotopes, and Tulsa’s first home game is April 9, 2024, against the Arkansas Travelers.
Quick Reminders
The polls will be open on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Oklahoma is having school board and special elections throughout the state. Please visit the Oklahoma State Elections Board for details.
Southeastern Oklahoma will witness a total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. I’ll have more information about the eclipse in next week’s newsletter. If you haven’t yet, please pick up a pair of solar eclipse glasses. You’ll find pairs near checkouts at stores across the state. You still have time to order some from places online like Amazon. Please remember only to get glasses that are ISO and CE certified for eye safety.
No More Paid Subscriptions
I turned off paid subscriptions to the Blog Oklahoma Newsletter a few days ago. The newsletter has always been and will continue to be free to everyone.
A few people who wanted to sign up for my free newsletter were confused when Substack asked for a paid subscription. So, I want to end that confusion. Also, Substack already makes you click multiple times to complete a subscription; if I can remove just one of those clicks, all the better.
A big thank you to the few people who signed up for a paid subscription in the past. It wasn’t necessary, but I still appreciated it. With their help, I was able to support our local economy by treating myself to a large dark roast coffee from my neighborhood Scooter's Coffee every now and then. Ha!
This got me thinking: Why not continue this coffee theme by signing up to Ko-Fi? If you would like to support me or say thank you by buying me a coffee for everything I do at Blog Oklahoma, you can do so at ko-fi.com/blogoklahoma. Again, it's not necessary, but still appreciated. Thank you for being a reader of my newsletter.
Have a blessed and well-caffeinated day.
In The News
A look at some of the latest headlines from around Oklahoma and beyond.
Solar eclipse 2024 path map, Oklahoma traffic info, and more | The Oklahoman
Solar Eclipse: Oklahoma National Guard to help in McCurtain County | KOCO
16 states, including Oklahoma, sue Apple over alleged smartphone monopoly | KOKH
Tulsa County prosecutor won't pursue charges in Owasso teenager's death | KGOU
OKC basNational Women In Agriculture Association pioneers first agriculture charter school | KOKH
'A gateway': OKC betting Key to Home program can reduce homelessness | Nondoc
Speaker McCall to File Legislation Securing Oklahoma's Border | OK House -Oklahoma legislature looks into allegations against state's top | KTEN
Gannett, publisher of USA Today, says it will stop using AP content | AP News
About Oklahoma: Grady County
Welcome to Grady County.
Grady County is in the southwest-center part of the state. The county was formed at statehood, mostly from parts of Pickens County in the Chickasaw Nation. The county was named after Henry W. Grady, a prominent southern orator. In 1911, parts of Caddo County were annexed, forming Grady County’s current borders.
Chickasha, Oklahoma, is in the center of the county at the intersection of U.S. Highway 81, U.S. Highway 62, and Interstate 44 (H. E. Bailey Turnpike). It is the county seat and the county’s largest city. Chickasha is also home to the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, the Chickasha Festival of Light, and a statue of the leg lamp made famous in the movie “A Christmas Story.”
Other notable communities include Verden in the western, Pocasset, Amber, Minco, and Tuttle in the northern, Bridge Creek in the northeastern, Alex and Bradley in the eastern, and Norge, Ninnekah, and Rush Spring in the southern part of the county.
Rush Springs, Oklahoma, is home to the annual Rush Springs Watermelon Festival.
Established: 1907
County Seat: Chickasha, Oklahoma 73018
Nation: Chickasaw / Kiowa, Comanche, Apache / Wichita and Affiliated, Caddo, Delaware
Map: Google Maps
Area: 1,101 mi2 (2,852 km2)
Population: 54,795 (2020 Census)
Time Zone: UTC−6 (Central), DST observed
Area Code: 405, 572
Congressional District: 4
State House District: 51, 56
State Senate District: 23, 43
Weather: NWS Norman
Tourism Region: Great Plains Country
History: Oklahoma Historical Society
Historic Places: Exploring Oklahoma History
More Information: Wikipedia
Extras
Here are some more things I hope you'll find interesting.
Food Theory: I Found the SPICIEST Fast Food Chicken Sandwich! | The Food Theorists
They Don't Make Them Like This️ Any More... | Jill Bearup
The Embarrassing DOWNFALL of the Bored Ape Yacht Club | Saberspark
Why are there tiny bows on all our underwear?! | Jessica Kellgren-Fozard
Deep Space Banjo - Ambient Spacefolk Chillwave | Space Banjo
Feedback Welcome
If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to leave a comment on Substrack, email me at blogoklahoma@blogoklahoma.net, or connect with me at Mastodon at @blogoklahoma@social.tulsa.ok.us, Threads at @blogoklahoma@threads.net, or Bluesky at @blogoklahoma.bsky.social.
Have a great week.
– K.
Oops. Had a typo. “Southeastern” Oklahoma will see the Total Solar Eclipse. I live in southwestern Oklahoma, so, I typed that out of habit. I’ll get it corrected this morning.
I hope everyone had a great Opening Day. I watched two games, Los Angeles Angels @ Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs @ Texas Rangers. I wanted to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers game, but it was blacked out on MLB.TV.