Open Court: Fun in the sun

The situation in Seattle makes me sick to my stomach.

The SuperSonics impending departure from one of the NBA’s most supportive cities after 41 years, one championship and a lifetime’s worth of memories is quite possibly the most depressing sports stories in recent memory.

Blame David Stern’s apathy or disgusting owners who can hold a city ransom for nine figures to build an unnecessary new arena. Either way, a dangerous precedent is being set if the Sonics leave the Pacific Northwest.

Outside of some heartfelt Washington columnists and ESPN.com’s Bill Simmons, few seem to realize how horrible this situation truly is.

With that in mind, I gathered my friends for a wonderful afternoon of Spring Training baseball.

See, it’s becoming clear that baseball might be leaving Tucson before too long. We all know the Tucson Sidewinders, less than two years removed from a Triple-A title, will almost certainly be heading to Reno, Nev., next summer.

The Chicago White Sox have their spring sights set in Goodyear, with the Colorado Rockies looking to follow them out the door toward Glendale.

If both teams abandon Spring Training in Tucson, it will only be a matter of time before the Arizona Diamondbacks pack their bags.

Look, we all know sports don’t matter nearly as much as we sometimes think it does. But the fact remains, this frivolous enterprise is still one of the most purely enjoyable ways a group of friends can spend time together.

Yesterday, I pulled up a patch of outfield grass with my buddies Daniel, Dave and Travis and watched the White Sox take down the D-backs 12-8.

The final score didn’t matter. Not one bit.

We arrived at the ballpark around 1 p.m., with 9,296 other Southern Arizonans, anxious to soak up some sun and watch a handful of big-league baseball players slowly round into shape.

If you can think of a better way to spend five bucks, I’d like to hear it. Granted, I spent $26 on concessions, but who’s counting?

New D-backs acquisition Dan Haren pitched two strong innings, displaying a flawless wind-up and enough movement on his fastball to have us thinking he can team up with Brandon Webb to form “Unit and Schilling: The Sequel.”

Speedy infielder Emilio Bonifacio thrilled the crowd with two doubles and a triple, earning the “crowd favorite” label for the day.

Perhaps the biggest thrill came in the bottom of the sixth, when 20-year-old prospect Gerardo Parra jacked a homer over the right-field wall that landed 10 feet to our left.

Of course, Parra misplayed two balls in centerfield the next frame, prompting some of the fans in our section to yell “Single-A! Single-A!”

Welcome to Spring Training, Gerardo.

Best of all, my group of friends and I spent three hours away from all the clutter that can plague adult life.

Don’t take that away from us.

Obviously, this isn’t nearly as bad as what’s happening in Seattle, but I know it would be a sad day in Southern Arizona if baseball jumped on I-10 and never looked back.

As Joni Mitchell once said, you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone.

Please, don’t pave paradise and put up a parking lot.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747