Sunday, February 28, 2010

When in Baltimore

Yesterday, I bought one of the coolest baseball caps I know:


Now, I know that you say, "Jeremy---you grew up two hours south of Nolan Ryan's 5,000th strikeout and sixth and seventh no-hitters; there is only one 'Pudge' in your vocabulary; you believe strongly in waiting till next year; Rickey Henderson is your favorite player of all time."  Yes, that is all true.

But I also hate the Yankees.*  And I live in Baltimore.  And I love Camden Yards.

*Few cities have a greater claim for hating the Yankees than Baltimore.  Now that I think about it, Baltimoreans have been abandoned in three of the four major North American sports.  The Colts left in the middle of the night in March 1984, and the Wiz left town in 1973.  Interesting question: Have any other cities been abandoned at least 3 times?  Does a Baltimore-to-Washington move count as "abandonment"?  Post may follow.

Sports are about uniting friends and neighbors against a common enemy, so it doesn't make sense for me to cling exclusively to my Rangers fandom.*  It's OK for me to put on an O's cap when I'm in Baltimore and an A's cap when I'm in Oakland and an R's cap when I'm in Dallas.**  I know the time will come when I can't have it all three ways, and I will be forced to decide.

*Especially since August 22, 2007.  Oh no he didn't.  Yes he did, Peter!  Yes he did!  I just saw him!

**Why don't any National League teams inspire loyalty in me?

But let's face it: October 2010 will not be that time.

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