TE1219896000Thu
Baseball
I think I need to stop watching baseball. Something happens to me when the Yankees play the Red Sox, specifically, when they lose to them. I just never knew I was capable of so much hate, I’m starting to think I’m a bad person.
A long time ago I can remember watching baseball with my dad, he was raised a Yankees fan, so I was raised the same way. My dad was always relaxed, if the Yankees won, great. If not, no big deal. I didn’t even know the Red Sox were a rival team until I was almost 13. But something in me has changed.
Now I find myself despising every Red Sox player that comes to the plate. Each one more than the next. I think Dustin Pedroia is the worst… Anyway, hating the Red Sox has taken all the fun out of loving the Yankees. You see, my disdain for one team, has lead to an even greater disdain for a team that can’t seem to beat them. I hate Jonathan Papelbon for being such a good pitcher, but I hate Alex Rodriguez more for not hitting off him, and I hate myself the most for getting so worked up. It’s a vicious cycle.
Full disclosure: When the Red Sox came back from 3 games down to beat the Yankees in the ALCS in 2004 I’m one of the people who didn’t get out of bed the next day. I’m not lying.
In conclusion, I am officially done caring about baseball. Starting tomor- fuck who am I kidding? Please God just let them win tomorrow.
All I hear is “Jonathan Papelbon… such a good pitcher.” I fucking love that guy. I live in Boston (OK, Brookline). What can I say? I like the Red Sox.
But in all seriousness, my love for baseball is more of a general love for the game rather than any one team. I love when the Red Sox win and I stand behind them every step of the way, but I would never count myself among the die-hard faithful. There are other teams that I follow and I’m interested in.
The game is more of a cerebral rather than visceral pleasure for me. Maybe this is because I didn’t start appreciating the game until college, but I’m more interested in the mechanics of the game (like sabermetrics) than I am in individual team mythologies (though the history of baseball is fucking rich in character).
