91 Days to Opening Day 2008

Opening Day 2008 for the Timber Rattlers is April 3. That is 91 days from today. This off-season, the countdown will be based on books. Each day between now and Opening Day 2008, I will pick a random book out of my library and excerpt a passage off the page number corresponding with the number of days remaining to the first pitch of the new season. I will try not to repeat a book during the countdown.

Today’s excerpt is from The Aenied by Virgil. The founding myth of Rome. I've paragraphed it up to make it a bit more readable.

But in her cavern the prophetess, intolerant yet of Phoebus’ will, raved in limitless frenzy, straining to exorcize the mighty god from her soul: but all the more he curbed her foaming lips to weariness, subdued her fierce heart, and moulded her to his constraint.

And now the hundred cast doorways of the shrine swung open of their own accord, and the response of the priestess came wafted through the air:

‘O thou that at length hast outworn the great perils of the deep – though others, and heavier, await thee upon earth – the children of Dardanus shall come to the realm of Lavinium (trouble not thy soul for this), but they shall joy not at their coming. War – grim war – I descry, and Tiber foaming with torrents of blood! Thou shalt lack not a Simoïs, nor a Xanthus, nor a dorian camp.'

'Even now, another Achilles is prepared for thee in Latium, -- goddess-born no less than thou! Nor anywhere shall Juno forbear to dog thy Teucrians: while thou, suppliant in the day of need, -- what people of Italy, what city shall have heard not thy prayer! And the source of all this woe to Troy shall again be a foreign bridal, -- again an alien bed. But yield not thou to any woes: but with bolder front fare forth to meet them in the path that thy fortune shall allow! The earliest step to salvation, -- little though thou deem it, -- shall be taken from a Grecian town!’

Put today’s excerpt in a baseball context.