jchrisobrien (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jchrisobrien) wrote2004-10-20 10:45 am
jchrisobrien) wrote2004-10-20 10:45 am
Why I'm watching baseball
I'm not a big sports fan. I tried baseball, soccor, and basketball while I was in grade school, but I was particularly un-athletic growing up, and hated getting yelled at. I took a stab at wrestling, cross country, and managed to be halfway decent in track and field with the discus, but that was the extent of it. I enjoyed a lot of success at martial arts, but that's a different topic.
The point is, I didn't like sports, the people I hung out with didn't like sports, and my only exposure to it was my dad watching the Phillies and the Giants while I read Ursela K. LeGuin and Michael Moorcock novels. I suspect a lot of my friends who hated sports hated the association with the people who used to pick on them when they were younger, or who continued to pick on them in high school.
Last year, and this year, I've been following the Red Sox games in the ALCS. I've sat on the couch, body tense when the count is 3-2, with 2 outs. I've cheered as balls sailed out of the park, and runners crosses the plate. I jeered when A-Rod was busted swatting the ball out of Arroyo's glove. This may come as a surprise to some of you.
I wouldn't say that I'm a Red Sox "fan". I don't hate the Yankees, I know the basics of the game, but not the deeper strategies (like decided when to switch pitchers, etc.). I like the underdog status of the Red Sox. I an intrigued by their "curse" and how a team can shoot itself in the foot year after year. And I like the cinematic quality of the Red Sox, as they come from being down 3 and winning the next three. They've made history in this championship series. They could make it again tonight.
I'm also interested to see what happens next. What if they win the World Series and break the curse? What will they do next year? If they have a crappy season, will they say the curse is back? Can Red Sox fans exist w/out their curse? Will it change the culture of baseball in Boston? I'm eager to find out.
The point is, I didn't like sports, the people I hung out with didn't like sports, and my only exposure to it was my dad watching the Phillies and the Giants while I read Ursela K. LeGuin and Michael Moorcock novels. I suspect a lot of my friends who hated sports hated the association with the people who used to pick on them when they were younger, or who continued to pick on them in high school.
Last year, and this year, I've been following the Red Sox games in the ALCS. I've sat on the couch, body tense when the count is 3-2, with 2 outs. I've cheered as balls sailed out of the park, and runners crosses the plate. I jeered when A-Rod was busted swatting the ball out of Arroyo's glove. This may come as a surprise to some of you.
I wouldn't say that I'm a Red Sox "fan". I don't hate the Yankees, I know the basics of the game, but not the deeper strategies (like decided when to switch pitchers, etc.). I like the underdog status of the Red Sox. I an intrigued by their "curse" and how a team can shoot itself in the foot year after year. And I like the cinematic quality of the Red Sox, as they come from being down 3 and winning the next three. They've made history in this championship series. They could make it again tonight.
I'm also interested to see what happens next. What if they win the World Series and break the curse? What will they do next year? If they have a crappy season, will they say the curse is back? Can Red Sox fans exist w/out their curse? Will it change the culture of baseball in Boston? I'm eager to find out.
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