Living Reflections from a Dream

Chris' comment on my last post got me thinking...

First, I wasn't trying to critisize the casual fan.. to each his/her own. And I must confess, until my baseball baptism, I was only a casual fan. I was the socializer, the crowd watcher, the person routing for the wave to get started, the person who really had very little idea what was going on in the game except when something exciting happened. Then one night, I went to a game with someone who was a die hard baseball fanatic. There I was socializing, looking around and he is saying things like: now this guy is a lefthanded pitcher and the batter is also left handed who tends to pull the pall, so that means that the infield will line up in such a such way. And last year this guy hit this batter with a pitch. My response: whatever.. you are distracting me from my beer and taking bad pictures:

But then I started actually listening to him (mostly because he just wouldn't stop), every batter, every pitch, every count he had some insight on. My own, personal, Jerry Remy. Suddenly, the stars aligned, the heavens cleared - I think a lightbulb literally appeared above my head. I understood why people were so obsessed.. there was so much to know! The game is so much more complex than hit the ball and run around the bases. There is drama, there is intrique, there is the male ego on full display (always entertaining), there is strategy and the antics in the dugout. And I thought only basketball could provide such joy. Baseball is addictive as crack. Maybe because it's an escape from life or maybe because it's a reflection of life: sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes people you don't like win, sometimes you do well, sometimes you fuck up completely, but whatever happens, you get up the next day and do it all over again - then once a year: World Series!

I'm aware that as more of a diehard, I can be a downer at the game for the casual fan. That is why I think tickets should be alotted by level of fandom. The diehards can all sit together reviewing pitch counts and get the really good seats and the casual fans can all party together further back. How about that?

In any case: it takes all kinds of fans to make the baseball world go round. Jump aboard and send some positive vibes to the Red Sox tonight in Yankee Stadium.

Go Red Sox!-----
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