Joy from the Bardo

Baseball & George Saunders

At 10 years old, I realized if I had any chance of my brother being interested in anything I had to say, I had to read the sports page. My father, on the other hand, thought I was fascinating if I boiled water without setting the house on fire.

In 2004, I went to their graves and read the headlines of “The Boston Globe”: “YES!!!” and 20 other newspapers. The Red Sox had won the World Series after 86 years.

I haven’t watched another baseball game in its entirety until last night, when I had my first George Saunders “Lincoln in the Bardo” moment. (He has a Substack account: George Saunders ) Anyway, I heard voices from the crypt as well as the cemetery, and it wasn’t creepy at all.

But first, “watch” is misleading because I followed it into the wee hours on the NYTimes blog. I don’t have cable, and my local stations, Fox included, often get wavy with my 1950s antenna and go black if the wind blows, which it did last night.

I sketched last night’s MVP, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, after I’d seen a photo of him..and oh, what a photo. It was a collage of photos in the NYTimes but I don’t know the photographer’s name to give him full credit.

It’s like a dishy Adonis had emerged from a crypt to go once again into battle, and the photograph was taken before last night’s game, which proved once and for all that he’s capable of such feats.

I made a mug, posters, coasters, notebooks, and placemats from newspaper headlines in 2004.

So, I’m making a mug for myself from my drawing in 2025 as the crypt really did open, and for 5 blessed hours, I did not think one single thought about this world I no longer recognize. I felt like all Earth and celestial fans were watching together.

Just 100% gobsmacked by two baseball teams.

I can also say with 100% certainty that we are exquisitely grateful that Mr. Yoshinobu Yamamoto did not play for the 2004 St.Louis Cardinals.

As winter and the holidays creep upon me, my most hopeful moments will involve my hot cocoa and whipped cream with Mr. Yamamoto.