[Hendu Style]

April 1, 2023

My fellow Sims, I write this letter today with the heaviest of hearts, and highest of hopes. On the brink of war, I turn to our past, hoping for answers and inspiration. It is today, on the eve of Opening Day 2023, that we must remember what makes this country so great.

Baseball is our SimNational Pastime. A sport that bring fathers and sons together. A sport that binds us all. A sport older than SimNation itself. A sport like no other.

Other sports have captured this Nation's attention. All seemed poised to take the mantle as our Pastime. But those moments were fleeting, in and out of our conciousness as quick as a Sam "The Man" Crowley homerun over the rightfield wall at The Fritz. While those sports have come and gone, baseball has stood the test of time.

Through a Revolutionary War, a Civil War, two World Wars (and now a third), baseball was there.

Through an era of rampant drug use that nearly killed professional sports in all of SimNation, baseball survived.

Through player strikes and owner lockouts, through depressions and recessions, through raised mounds and the designated hitter, baseball has withstood a sea of change like a mountain against a raging flood. This sport is shaped by these events, and better because of it.

I have a close bond to this greatest of games. I grew up watching games in Emerald Bay, where my father plied his trade as a baseball executive. His father before him was a pitcher for Appaloosa. My great grandfather was a coach for several teams, including the Black Sox. And my great, great grandfather was the first-ever commissioner of the SimNation Baseball League.

Baseball is in my blood. I believe it's in all of our blood. I hope these stories of baseball's past will inspire you, and remind you how a simple game with a ball, a bat, and a few gloves can put a smile on a young boy's face. The history of the SimNation Baseball League is an important one, and one that we cannot afford to forget.

Signed,

John A. Kinsella
President of SimNation