Some traditions and rituals return season after season, some wither away, and some are reborn after years of hibernation. Last month, Glen Arbor Sun editors Norm and Jacob Wheeler resumed their annual father-son baseball pilgrimage—this time to watch two games at Comerica Park in Detroit, where the Tigers were trying to stave off the rival Cleveland Guardians and gain a spot in the playoffs. Their roaring, red-hot start to the season had earned them the best record in baseball until July before they collapsed like a dozing cat and squandered a seemingly insurmountable 15.5-game lead over the team from Lake Erie. In this essay, Jacob reflects on their baseball trips and how America’s original national pastime has changed over the decades.
