The Way It Was, And The Way It Should Still Be: Perspective

I love baseball. Actually, now that I think of it, love isn’t accurate. It’s more of a burning obsession that I can’t control no matter how hard I try. I know I’m not the only one who feels like this either and to be honest it can be extremely straining to be a super fan. My head hurts, my throat is sore from screaming and my fist hates me from almost breaking it far too many times

The off season can be worse.

Rumors, scenarios, money, contracts. Winter Meetings, technical terms flying out of my TV and into my living room left and right. It’s exhausting. Yeah, being a fanatic is far from easy and it can be extremely draining on me and everyone around me. But as a fan you owe it to your team to have a short memory and stay loyal to your team.

The Yankees have had a rough year but we fans have to be able to put things into perspective so we can enjoy all aspects of our lives. It’s not simple but it needs to be done.

Ever year on Christmas Eve I go to party at my grandparents’ home and have a great time with my family. It’s honestly my favorite day of the year. So, it doesn’t give me great pride to say that my most vivid memory from last year’s party was finding out that the Rakuten Golden Eagles were going to post star pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.

Yes, I’m a horrible person but jokes on you because I already knew that.

It’s not any better that I have a reputation for being the “Obsessive Yankees Fan” at school (That’s not a joke. People actually call me that). Constantly checking my phone, searching rumors and player profiles, debating topics and all that not so fun stuff.

Sure, I can claim it to be all in the name of my work as a writer but it’s not. I’m only lying to myself when I do that. It doesn’t matter where I am either. At the movies my phone will sound and I’ll have to answer it. The mall? Thanksgiving dinner? Watching Game of Thrones? Fifth period International Business? Doesn’t matter! My life is being controlled by the SportsCenter “DA DA DA!! DA DA DA!” jingle and boy, is it’s both exhilarating and exciting.

But after a season like this one I’m ready for a rest. I, and all fans really, need to put things in perspective. The Yankees didn’t make the playoffs but the world hasn’t stopped turning. A big player went down with injury and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are not coming around taking names (Johnny Cash anyone?).

A player underperformed and chimps have not taken over the world leaving only James Franco and the guy who played Commissioner Gordon in the Batman movies to protect us. Really, it’s not the end of the world when the team stinks.

We don’t have to ask for people to loose their jobs are for the entire roster to be shipped off to Siberia and be forced to deal with comrade Putin over their (I’m name dropping today!).

Look, as much as we talk about tradition and all that stuff baseball is a game and it’s not fair to anyone when people elevate it over everything else in our lives. Have your family and your friends. Enjoy everyday because it matters and don’t let baseball get in the way of that. In the grand scheme of things baseball should be in the background and not the foreground of your life.

That’s the right perspective.

Play ball folks.