162 things to be excited about now that a new baseball season is upon us

A new baseball season is getting underway on Sunday afternoon. No more Spring Training. No more waiting. It's all back. Your favorite players are ready.  
There are plenty of reasons for everybody -- no matter which team you root for -- to feel pretty pumped-up that another season is upon us. With that in mind, here are 162 specific things that are now returning to our lives that should make us all smile. 
162, because that's how many games teams play in a season ... get it? Good. Enjoy, and play ball!
1. The smells: Hot dogs, warm spring air, freshly cut grass, kettle corn, the grill, etc.
2. The quiet murmur of the crowd suddenly erupting in excitement over a big hit
3. Fans making amazing catches
4. Fans not making amazing catches, despite trying hard
5. Fans with intimidating facial hair situations

6. Wild ballpark food concoctions
   7. Hearing familiar music at the ballpark that immediately reminds you of baseball
   8. The Cubs celebrating their World Series win one last time at Wrigley Field
   9. Mascot hijinks (and Jason Kipnis' antics, too)
   10. The Astros mascot Orbit and his pranks (after last season's display he has a lot to live up to)
   11. Peanuts
   12. Cracker Jack
   13. The D-backs' pool at Chase Field
   14. Kids meeting their heroes and having their dreams come true

15. Players playing catch with kids in the stands
    16. Opportunities for great baseball souvenirs
    17. A chance to catch a fireworks display on a night other than July 4
    18. Feeling palpable tension when the game is close -- and then the cathartic rush when things go well
    19. A chance to show others where you stand regarding the wave: Are you for or against?
    20. Bark at the Park

21. Making your phone's step counter app happy with all that walking at the stadium
    22. Listening to the game on the radio/AtBat app while doing chores, walking down the street, etc. 
    23. Having something to watch at any moment of the day, seven days a week
    24. Letting the soothing sounds of late-night baseball drown out the sounds of your noisy neighbors
    25. Players pranking each other
    26. Fans and their creative signs at the game
    27. Huge dingers that go really far
    28. Inside-the-park home runs and raucous celebrations

29. Bat flips, a true art form
    30. John Jaso and his hair 

31. Hair flips, as there are some good ones on display these days
    32. No-hitters
    33. Near no-hitters broken up in the late innings
    34. Jaw-dropping catches

35. Ridiculous outfield assists

36. Mind-bending double plays
    37. Outrageous triple plays
    38. Would-be errors that turn into great defensive plays
    39. Rundowns with the runner winning
    40. Rundowns in general
    41. Plays that need to be Statcasted to be believed
    42. Adrián Beltré, a true entertainer

43. Nolan Arenado doing Nolan Arenado things
    44. The Padres on the basepaths, swiping home plate like it's no big deal
    45. Paul Goldschmidt breaking phones and fans' food

46. Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte in the Pirates outfield
    47. Carlos Martínez fastballs and Adam Wainwright curveballs (not to mention his prodigious power)
    48. The Brewers' sausage race
    49. The Nats' Presidents Race and its occasional mishaps

50. Maikel Franco, Freddy Galvis and their infield trickery 
    51. Rich Hill's delivery and its many applications
    52. Another season of José Bautista and Josh Donaldson making Rogers Centre look small
    53. Yadier Molina's intensity and extracurricular activities at the plate
    54. Star Wars Night!
    55. Extra innings: a great excuse to stay up late
    56. Mid-week day games: a good reason to call in sick
    57. Mid-July and pushing 100 outside? Just stay in, blast the A/C and turn on the game.
    58. Game of Thrones tie-ins
    59. More art-inspiring thievery by Kevin Kiermaier

60. Making new friends at the ballpark
    61. Saying hello to friends you haven't seen since last season ended
    62. Stadium proposals and their delightful awkwardness
    63. Having your first date at the ballpark
    64. Clayton Kershaw's video-game curveball

65. Max Scherzer's fastball
    66. José Abreu, hitting machine
    67. Another season for Hawk Harrelson
    68. Dancing lessons with the Red Sox outfield

69. The Mets' collective hair and mustaches
    70. Mike Napoli back in Texas
    71. Ichiro Suzuki, the league's oldest position player, who says he wants to play until 50

72. Yoenis Céspedes being himself -- throwing, hitting and bat-flipping
    73. Bartolo Colon, a free agent signing so big it had its own trailer
    74. Miguel Cabrera's commitment to having a good time

75. Miguel Sanó destroying baseballs and scraping the roof
    76. Edwin Encarnacion with the Indians
    77. More chances for Royals (like Brandon Moss) to hit it to the fountain
    78. Players wearing the wrong caps on accident
    79. John Adams and his Progressive Field drums
    80. Walk-up music
    81. Wild caroms off walls

82. Billy Hamiltonrunning circles around the league
    83. Hunter Pence being Hunter Pence

84. Kris Bryant coming off his NL MVP Award
    85. Bryce Harper continuing to do Bryce Harper things

86. Mike Trout (too bad he can't play for every team for maximum Trout Effect)
    87. Kyle Schwarber in general
    88. Inspirational ceremonial first pitches
    89. The AT&T Park seagulls -- they're coming for you

90. Amazing ballpark sunset photos

We see you, Philly. pic.twitter.com/7tEBF4YBtj

— MLB (@MLB) August 30, 2016

91. Popups getting lost in the sun
    92. Yasiel Puig being #PuigYourEntertainer
    93. Alex Rodriguez, full-time baseball analyst
    94. José Altuve and the quest for an even more untouchable stat line
    95. The "dugout silent treatment"

96. Noah Syndergaard's fastball
    97. Bold maneuvers on the basepaths
    98. Gary Sánchez and the #BabyBombers -- they're going to make Yankee Stadium look small
    99. Joey Vottotrolling fans -- or just being nice to them
    100. New bobbleheads
    101. Other can't-miss new team giveaways
    102. Seeing how Adam Jones follows up his Team USA heroics 

103. Minor League theme nights and zany promotions
     104. Position players pitching
     105. More T-Rex sightings in the stands
     106. Chances to see baseball legends on any given night
     107. Fans taking selfies with players
     108. Bill Murray sightings at Wrigley Field
     109. Giancarlo Stanton moonshots

110. Kevin Pillar's magic with the glove 
     111. All-Star voting
     112. The Home Run Derby
     113. The All-Star Game
     114. Yu Darvish's offspeed pitches
     115. Pitchers "hitting"
     116. Pitchers actually hitting 

117. Albert Pujols going for homer No. 600 (he has 591)
     118. Curtis Granderson going for homer No. 300 (he has 293)
     119. Ryan Braun also going for homer No. 300 (he has 295)
     120. Nelson Cruz going for homer No. 300 (he has 284)
     121. Robinson Canó going for homer No. 300, too (he has 278)
     122. Adrian Beltre going for 3,000 hits (he has 2,942)
     123. Albert Pujols going for 3,000 hits (he has 2,825)
     124. Bartolo Colon going for 2,500 strikeouts (he enters the year with 2,365)
     125. Out-of-nowhere surprise stars
     126. More endless debate about hot dogs and their status as maybe sandwiches
     127. Coordinated team outfits for road trips
     128. Clubhouse antics
     129. Kenta Maedapranks
     130. Defensive miscues (they illustrate the game's intricate balance)
     131. Being a total glutton for ballpark food
     132. Félix Hernández's changeup

133. Matt Shoemaker's splitter
     134. Photos of Clayton Kershaw's face
     135. Squeeze plays
     136. Failed squeeze plays
     137. Fernando Rodney's hat -- since you know it's crooked right now, somewhere
     138. Edwin Díazthrowing fireballs
     139. Javier Báez slides

140. The rest of Javier Baez's tools
     141. Chris Archer's hair and its trap
     142. Displays of emotion -- from players and fans alike
     143. Breakout rookies that none of us expected
     144. Potential sleepers
     145. Top prospects being called up
     146. Literally hitting the cover off the ball
     147. Craig Kimbrel's arm angle before he throws a pitch

148. The understated brilliance of scoreboard usage
     149. Players doing weird stuff during rain delays
     150. Having conversations about baseball while in line for coffee/the bank/and so on
     151. Hitting the ball more than once with one swing
     152. Carlos Gómez going all-out all the time
     153. Pitch faces
     154. In-game alerts on the At Bat app
     155. Francisco Lindor ranging deep into the hole

156. Postgame interviews
     157. Arguments over in-game decisions
     158. Watching top athletes make unthinkable displays of effort
     159. Flip-up sunglasses in the outfield 
     160. Players wearing stirrups
     161. Players (unintentionally) taking your food while you're near the field in your seats
     And finally ... 
     162. The fact that for the next 6-7 months, baseball is a part of your life again.
     Young Mariners fan, we know the feeling.