Friday Funday: The Wind Up... And The Pitch.

It's another Friday, and as usual, we could easily talk about the news items of the day. The shooting at the Colorado movie theater, (which we just heard about as we published today) will certainly generate more words and less action, from pundits and politicians alike, who will try to use this latest horrible event to justify their particular world views. The sheer arrogance of Ann Romney will also be a topic for some today, as she tried to wave off the demands of "you people" - the American media and the American people - for the disclosure of her husband's tax returns, as though we were her servants.

We could also talk about Mitt Romney's desperate need to take President Obama's recent comments out of context, though we already did that a bit in our link section on Thursday. We could even talk about the heat and the crops, or the lack of action on the part of Congress to do anything to help our farmers - but we also already tackled some of those issues this week, too.

It's Friday, though, and for many reasons, we always try to turn to more positive things, to remind us that not all of life is fighting, tragedy, and disaster. One of those things is one of our favorite pastimes… paying attention to baseball.

For some of our staff, this year's Major League Baseball season has been nothing short of embarrassing. For others, the home team is not only winning, but leading their league strongly, and giving our staff thoughts of the fall classic in Washington, DC.

Sadly, our favorite minor league team, the Lincoln Saltdogs, is struggling this year, to put it mildly.

Some people we know would say that we should throw in the towel already, that we should toss our sporting allegiances to the side and utter the time worn phrase, "Maybe next year." Other fans are already dreaming of forcing the coaches and players from our favorite losing teams to be the targets in a dunk tank game.

Truthfully, we just smile and laugh at both groups.

When all else fails, when the days are insanely hot and the nights not nearly as cool as we'd like, we still enjoy watching baseball in the summertime - though we have to admit sometimes we prefer to catch a few matchups from the air-conditioned comfort of our homes.

To be honest, on days like these, we even prefer watching games that don't involve any of our favorite teams.

Baseball, for all the scandals the sport has faced, for all the posturing some players still display, is at its heart, the same game that we've been watching (and less often these days, playing) since we were kids. It's still a bat, and a ball, and some base markers, with a bunch of friends. It's still a group of people playing a simple game, with simple, honorable rules.

When people make a solid hit or a great catch, we don't ask whether they're Democratic or Republican. Even if they're on the other team, we can respect their work and their effort. We say, "Great hit," or "Nice catch."

That doesn't mean we don't sometimes want to bean certain individuals that have earned our distain.

In general, though, enjoying baseball as a spectator is one of the few things these days that we can enjoy where politics doesn't usually impede. It's a moment in our busy work schedule where we can unwind - and sometimes, even breathe.

With that in mind, we're pitching you an idea today. We hope this weekend, you take some time to follow our lead and indulge a little bit in whatever unwinds your springs. Take some time. Relax.

We're willing to bet you've earned it. We know we have.