What game are we watching???

Today is the beginning of baseball season.  Anyone who knows me, knows that this is what I live for...I love baseball!  This year though, I haven't felt the enthusiasm.  Two years ago during the pandemic, I realized that tI could live without it...I had no choice!  There was no baseball to watch!  Last year, we weren't able to watch the Reds on TV due to our TV carrier.  The Reds weren't all that great either, and we just didn't really follow along.  Then, the lockout happened and my enthusiasm continued to plummet.  Once the lockout was settled, the Reds traded so many players that it all just seemed ridiculous.

Tonight's game is on ESPN, so we could watch it.  It was late enough in the evening that even Andrew would be home from his baseball coaching to watch.  This whole thing though, seems ridiculous.  First of all, I DETEST the designated hitter, and I hate that it is part of the National League game now.  I find it ridiculous that the catchers are no longer giving signs to the pitcher and there are communication systems.  It all annoys me.  Then, we have "entertainment" that isn't really part of the game.  As far as I'm concerned, the game coverage hit an entirely new "low" when Joey Votto, who agreed to be miked for the game, was expected to have a conversation with the analysts while he was in the field trying to play first base.  Andrew and I kept looking at each other saying, "What is happening?"  I mean, how is this okay????  The man has a job to do, and having a conversation during seems a little bit distracting.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Joey Votto, and I find him absolutely entertaining.  The problem is, I would really rather be entertained by the game itself, and maybe we could have a chat with the ball player later??  This is just odd, and I'm not a fan of the current game as it is!