By Jose M. Romero / @RomeroJoseM

Starting on Fourth of July, I’ll be at the ballpark every day for the rest of the week. That’s the plan anyway.

When I left the Pacific Northwest – Seattle, to be exact – in 2010, I was glad knowing that even though I was moving to a place where it’s hotter than blazes in the summer and half the fall and spring, at least I was leaving one big-league town for another. And I’d get the chance to see a lot of National League baseball.

It’s been great. The Arizona Diamondbacks had a bad 2010, rose up to win the NL West and hosted the All-Star Game in 2011 and are up and down in 2012, but at least they’re entertaining.

I’ve been to maybe 50 games, more or less, at Chase Field since my arrival. But I’m sure I’ve never been to a Fourth of July game in Phoenix. I look forward to it, even if the festivities are somewhat contrived.  

There’s something about watching America’s game on America’s Day. Forget the fireworks and the hot dogs for me, though its OK that those are part of the day. I like the military tributes and the day off for everyone in the stands.

I think at some point I lost interest in the fireworks. I will say this; they look a lot better over water than over land.

This isn’t the place where I talk about how blessed I am to be free to go to a baseball game on July 4 or any other day. But I am pretty grateful for all that air conditioning at Chase Field.

As a kid I used to twirl sparklers and shoot off Roman candles and throw those little firepops down on the ground. That evolved into barbecues and going to other people’s houses. Eventually, I found myself working on July 4s, and if not then watching baseball or Major League Soccer on TV trying to find as much sports as possible so I could skip repeat airings of “Born on the Fourth of July” and “Independence Day.” 

You can only watch the White House get blown up by an alien mother ship so many times.  I’ll take Joey Chestnut vs. Takeru Kobayashi at Coney Island in the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Championships every year, though.

Now that’s America right there!

The Fourth in Phoenix is just too hot. Let’s say somewhere in the 100s, maybe little cooler but with that, added humidity. I miss the days when I could go outside and enjoy the night air.

But at least I have baseball. This time, this week, I get to go to work. At the yard, a happy place. It’s going to be a good Fourth. I hope you enjoy yours., too.