The Bright Side

It was a good day to look on the bright side.

“Yesterday was about as perfect as you can hope for in January,” said Javier from Walton Avenue. “I sat in the park and the sun was nice.”

The guys around Juan Carlos’s coffee cart were now fighting a damp chill that rolled in overnight.

“I heard that Phil Hughes is already throwing in Tampa,” said Javier as he dug for warmth in his pockets. “Just knowing that someone is throwing a baseball makes me feel better.”

Humberto Sanchez and Andrew Brackman are also in Tampa.

“Close your eyes and you can almost see them,” said Javier. “Three kids throwing baseballs the way none of us ever could.”

Everyone nodded.

Then Jon from Highbridge piped up.

“The grass is green and the sun is shining and the gloves are popping.”

And that’s as bright as it gets on a cold day in the Bronx.