155 Days to Opening Day 2008

Opening Day 2008 for the Timber Rattlers is April 3. That is 155 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 book is Dictionary of Saints by John J. Delaney. Appropriate for November 1, eh?

The excerpt from page 155 is a brief biography of St. Contstantine

Constantine (6^th century). King of Cornwall, unreliable tradition has him married to the daughter of the King of Brittany who on her death ceded his throne to his son and became a monk at St. Mochuda Monastery at Rahan, Ireland. He performed menial tasks at the monastery, then studied for the priesthood and was ordained. He went as a missionary to Scotland under St. Columba and then St. Kentigern, preached in Galloway, and became abbot of a monastery at Govan. In old age, on his way to Kintyre, he was attacked by pirates who cut off his right arm, and he bled to death. He is regarded as Scotland’s first martyr. March 11.

Put today’s entry into a baseball context.