One of the smartest things I've done in a long time was to spend $14.95 for the rights to listen to any major league game played this year, on any computer, at MLB.com.

There's nothing more relaxing than listening to baseball on the radio. Hearing the game described is much more satisfying to me than watching distracting graphics and fan shots and dugout shots and manufactured dramas among players. Over the radio, the whole thing distilled down to the game itself. It's just the baseball.

Last night I was listening to the Phillies-Nationals game while paying bills, and I heard the Phillies announcers say that John Lester had a no-hitter going through seven innings for the Red Sox, against the Royals. So I quick switched over the Boston game and heard the home town announcers call the last two innings of the no hitter! What fun!

Then I switched back to the Phillies game -- just in time to hear the final out of the Phillies' third loss in a row. Sigh ...