Cipherdom (deprecated)

I'm one of those fair-weather fans. Although I feel no need to obsess over scorecards and being on top of the stats, nothing beats taking in an afternoon game at the ballpark. It's got it all going on.

I'm less into night games, because it's harder to tune out the jumbo-trons (they probably haven't been called that for a decade, eh?!)

Baseball is the only sport I'll never tire of watching, though it's not well-suited to TV. Somehow it attracts a lot of fair-weather fans, too -- people who don't follow or understand the game except to jump on whatever bandwagon comes along. I actually sympathize w/ diehard Cub fans who have to put up w/ all the newcomers who've decided rooting for them is hip. If the Sox surprise people and contend all year, there are plenty of empty seats for all the scenesters who'll emerge.

My dad went 80 years without seeing the Sox win a World Series, so I'm kind of keeping the faith at least 'til they do. I'll admit the strike season -- when they looked unstoppable -- was hard to swallow, especially as it coincided w/ the decline of his health. It wasn't the cause, so far as I know! But it was hard to accept he'd never get his lifelong wish. He was a little too into it, which I avoid. It doesn't ruin my day when they lose.

Baseball is an organized bore. I lost all interest after the second strike and was disgusted when Alomar? spit in the umps face and received a slap on the wrist. I think all HR records should be asterisked because of the rampant steroid usage.