Baseball: A Love Story

Before I do a vol.2 of "Favorite Soccer Players," I would like to do the baseball version of it. Then it occurred to me that how I came to like my teams can make an article on its own. I'm calling it a baseball love triangle, and here's why

I was forever being undecided between Yankees and Red Sox. Yes. For real. If I were Twilight fanatic, I'd throw in a Edward-Jacob metaphor, but it would be an insult to equate baseball to a emo-stalker vampire or a fluffy dog werewolf.

In all seriousness, I think that liking Yankees is one of the things you're expected to like - along with Starbucks and subway musicians - if you love all things New York. So, I did like them because it was the thing to do, but I just couldn't bring myself to love them. There always were managerial decisions that I just hated. When they let go Joe Torre, I was pretty upset, but I still tried to like the team. So I convinced myself with a lame excuse ("Well, they probably needed to change up the team to give a fresh start...")  and held onto it. I knew in my gut that if I'm only trying to make-believe that I'm attached to the team, when I'm not. Then they let go Godzilla after that awesome World Series win, which made me realize that I am so over that team. See, it's not the team, it's me...

Then there's the other team - Red Sox. From what I kept hearing, it was either you love or hate Red Sox; the middle ground seems to not exist with this team. With all that hype, it was only natural that I decided to check them out. What's up with the weird stereotype that if you like Yankees, you automatically have to hate Red Sox? After spending some quality time with my ESPN, I ended up feeling pretty close to the team and the players. I went to the light side (or dark side? Fine by me, I still get the lightsaber in the team color) and now am totally attached to the team. Just like it's hard to explain why you love certain things in your life, I really can't explain why I love the team. I just do. For those who actually kept track of my baseball woes in the past articles, yes, it was Red Sox not being able to make it to the playoffs that I was totally depressed about. Mike Lowell's retirement only fueled my bummed-out-ness. To make up for it, Daniel Nava better make the team full time next season, and everyone on the DL better get back in the game. :)

I have no idea whether this is going to gain or cost me readers. Yankees fans, you still got the entire NYC and more, sans Mets fans. Red Sox fans, I hope you enjoyed it. Everyone else, I hope got my jokes (if you didn't, pretend you got them anyway). ;)

xx-N