On the day after Halloween 2009, I wrote the piece "Does Baseball = Self-Loathing?" and the world would never be the same. Would you like to read it now?
Sitting here watching the World Series. Eating candy cigarettes*. Joba Chamberlain just relinquished the lead. Got too cocky, me thinks. Anyway, just wanted to use this lazy Sunday night to share some quick thoughts on baseball. I love sports. Primarily football, baseball and basketball, but also lesser-known stuff like disc golf and women's curling. But unlike all the other sports, when it comes to watching baseball, I always root for a close game when cheering on my team. You see, even though I definitely want the Yankees (my favorite team) to win, I want them to win in the most thrilling fashion possible. I'd rather watch a game where they lose on the last at-bat than one where they win by five runs.
This is the exact opposite of all of my other sports-watching experiences. I always want the Giants to win 47-0 and the Knicks to win 123-72. But when I watch baseball I will mentally root for the other team if the Yanks are in front so as to set up some sort of "thrilling ending." And I suppose I do this because baseball is boring, but maybe it's something else.
Believe me, I really do not want the Yankees to lose. Clearly there is something in the essence of Major League Baseball that inspires this sort of manic energy. It's probably because of how boring it is, but maybe it's something else.
So do I secretly hate myself? Please let me know what you think. I'm worried that I might need anti-depressants in order to watch baseball like everybody else. Ay caramba!
*Such an underrated Halloween candy btw. You can suck on them or chew them up immediately: I say, equal joy. It's basically the same thing (compound?) as the Lick-a-Stick stick. Also, a whole box is just 48 cals. Most mini "fun" size candies (chocolate-based) are over a 100. This is more bang for your bad health buck. For your health.
