Summer Staples

            The summertime is great for so many reasons . Just hearing the word summer being spoken conjures up all of the things that have really defined summer for me over the years. Certainly everyone has their ideal vision for the summer months, and many of us probably share some of the typical summertime joys such as beaches, pools and barbeques. I really enjoy swimming, barbequing and playing sports, so the change in the weather is always welcomed. However, one of my other favorite parts of summer is being able to get comfy in a climate controlled environment when I am done spending time outside.  Walking into an air conditioned room on a hot and humid summer day is as refreshing as gulping down a tall glass of ice cold water when your mouth is as dry as the desert. Unfortunately,  the summer months tend to also mark the end of many of television's best shows.  There are exceptions of course as the FX network has recently premiered the second season of last year's hit show 'Louie', based on the life of stand-up comedian Louis C.K., as well as a new show named 'Wilfred' in which Elijah Wood plays a slightly loopy character that sees his neighbor's dog as a grown adult man in a dog costume. If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea and your favorite series' are on hold for the summer, maybe you fancy a competition show such as this year's installment of Gordon Ramsey's cooking competition, 'MasterChef', or perhaps you'd enjoy watching young dancers compete to be America's favorite on this season of 'So You Think You Can Dance'. As much fun as those shows can be, for me there's one competition that has always been synonymous with summertime and always will be, Major League Baseball.

                As a New York Mets fan it can sometimes be painstaking to follow my favorite team, with interest often diminishing as their playoff hopes dwindle year in and year out.  But despite the Mets' performance in any given year, the All Star Game festivities in July have always had my attention. Some have voiced their opinions on how they feel that the Homerun Derby has grown stale and boring. I can somewhat see their point, but to me the Homerun Derby is one of those things I'll always try to watch because it reminds me of a feeling of summertime excitement that dates back to when I was a kid. Not to mention, it still entertains me to watch baseballs being repeatedly crushed and seeing how far they can go.

               Apparently not everyone feels the same way and Major League Baseball has decided to change the format of the Homerun Derby this year in an attempt to lure back viewers that may not tune in anymore because they are bored by the event.  This year, instead of the 'every man for himself' format that they have been using, the American League will compete against the National League with two teams of four players, led by the last two Homerun Derby winners respectively. I am interested to see how this change will make the event more intriguing, but regardless of the change to a team format, I am certain that one thing they will not be changing is the gold custom imprinted promotional baseball that is used when the batter is down to their final out. The gold ball has been a promotion run by State Farm Insurance for several years now in which they donate a pre-determined amount of money to charity for each homerun that is hit with a gold ball. One could argue that the gold ball has become a staple in the event even though it doesn't provide any real value to the competition. It does however bring State Farm a tremendous amount of publicity and recognition, like a good promotional product should, therefore I am sure that no matter what changes the competition undergoes, the gold ball stays.