Lakeland, Fla. — Dwell for a moment on that evocative word “Lakeland.”
Thoughts, associations, images, overload the mind.
There is a mental picture of Marchant Stadium’s green grass awash in sunshine. There is the background sound of birds squawking and ospreys cheep-cheeping as they fly to and from Lake Parker, on Tigertown’s most eastern point. White baseball uniforms etched in a blue Olde English D are worn by players who line up for morning calisthenics like boot-camp soldiers.
There is the crack of bats and the thump of pitches slamming into catcher’s gloves.