Missing Baseball

Piglet's-eye view from a subway train heading for 161st Street
Photo:  Ariel J Friedlander

I am a baseball fan. 

Although, unlike my late mother, I cannot recite the infield fly rule, I have a basic grasp of the laws of the game. I have an allegiance to a team as well. It is the New York Yankees. Before you all start hating on me, I'd like to point out that I come by this allegiance legitimately. The Yankees are the team nearest to my place of birth. Nearer than the Mets. Apparently our family did support the Mets when they first started, but my mother said they were so bad that you kind of had to. We do have a tradition of rooting for the underdog, and I am utterly unused to following a team that actually wins trophies, but fate, and my father, decreed that they would be my team and so they are. 

I'm not a fairweather fan, and continued to love them throughout the lean years. I was also lucky enough to be able to attend games at the old Yankee Stadium during my studies at HUC. My favourite player was Bernie Williams - I still have a navy-blue T-Shirt with his name and number, a number that is now retired. Ok, I loved Derek Jeter as well, but not quite as much as Bernie. O, and once I was warned at Logan Airport that if I didn't change my shirt (it was a Yankees T #18 Johnny Damon) I could expect a physical assault on my person (I did not change it). I consider myself to be very loyal, and at the same time I don't see how it is in any way possible to transfer my loyalties. I was fond of the Cubs, but then they went and got good. And I was born on West 116th St. And the Yanks are my guys. 

It is difficult to follow baseball from Europe, especially without PayTV options, but last year Facebook started showing a short highlights package online for free after every game, and I really got into it again. Now, of course, there's nothing. So I wear my T-shirts and follow @thejudge44 on Insta and watch ancient glories on YouTube. I don't mind, because I want everyone to live and be well and go sit in the bleachers again. But I do miss baseball. I miss trying to figure out what WHIP is. I miss John & Suzyn with me in the car late at night as I drive home (or online if I can find a feed that lets me listen). I miss checking the Red Sox score to see if they lost. 

Baseball is the only sport I know that has no time limit for the completion of the game. It takes as long as it takes. I love that concept. And I look forward to baseball's return, when it is safe and healthy to recommence. As long as it takes.