Swept Away by Baseball

This is getting moved over from the diaries, it is short and sweet. Thanks to Angelino Angel for this...

I have watched a lot of agonizing games this season. And sometimes I curse my boyfriend for initiating me to the sport. I used to hate baseball. Once, on a date to a Dodgers game, after I ate the prerequisite hotdog and had a beer (or two), I made the guy take me home out of utter boredom.

In 2002, I started seeing an avid (actually rabid) Angels baseball fan. I mean, this guy would have severe sports-related mood disorder over any loss or even with any bad play. But I got swept up in his intensity and euphoria. I became very invested emotionally in the team and their wins and losses. I learned who all of the players were and their numbers. I could tell from afar who a player was just by the general shape of his body.

Baseball took on an archetypal importance - most of the time, the players fail and are still considered heroic. If they hit the ball and get on base a third of the time, that is considered to be very successful, even though they fail the other two-thirds of the time at bat. They stand up, alone, and fail, most of the time in front of thousands of people. And then they are also part of a team - best of both worlds - the individual and the collective is both significant.

Being mostly shy and a chicken, this sport has an inspirational importance to me to keep stepping up to the plate and to keep on trying, to do ones best, after each win or loss.

And to still be faithful, even though the team may be sucking.