[SelzShoes]

Spring; the time when a young man’s fancy turns to love. Or if you have already got the love (or given up on it completely) then the young man turns to baseball. For Lefty O’Doul, there was no difference between the two.

This should have been a joyous time for the San Franciscan; the City’s greatness was getting more attention, simply because it’s baseball team now wore the “Major League” label. Lefty knew better than to be excited about this team. For a Pacific League club, it was nothing special; for a major league club it could be downright ugly. The management, so struck by the offer to play with the big boys did not put any thought into how the new arraignment should have affected player signings. No thought at all. The only thing about joining the NAL O’Doul found somewhat satisfying was as long as the Phillies were around the Seals would not be the worst team in the league.

Even if the Seals future at the "Major League" level was better than he could imagine, O'Doul wondered if this was the road he should travel. He had wrote to Douglas MacArthur offering his services to help restart the Nippon Baseball Leagues. "The game," O'Doul had observed to friends, "encourages democracy." It stung Lefty that Tokyo's main stadium had been reduced to a trash heap in the aftermath of Japan's surrender. The people of the rising sun loved the game like Americans, if he could help bring the formerly warring nations together with a game; that would be more worthwhile than trumpeting the virtues of his beloved home town.

And it would be better than watching this club struggle.