Why I'm a "Baseball Fan"

Baseball is my deepest passion in life. My name is Wednesday-Elf, but I don't limit my baseball fandom to just Wednesdays :-).

What is a 'Baseball Fandom' you ask? Fandom describes a group of people fascinated with any subject. Mine is Baseball. A few years ago, Major League Baseball had the slogan 'I Live for This'. That's me, a died-in-the wool baseball fan who actually plans her day around 'game times' during the season. Other people might get up in the morning and check the weather. This baseball fan checks out TV schedules to see what time today's 'game' is on! I'm 'Crazy about Baseball'.

*Images on this page are property of Wednesday-Elf, unless otherwise noted.

I grew up in New York State and naturally was a fan of the 'Yankees'. I also followed the Dodgers until they had the nerve to leave Brooklyn and I never quite forgave them. (Fans can be fickle sometimes!).

In fact, in 1981 I was living in California when the Los Angeles Dodgers played the New York Yankees in the World Series. We were invited over to our neighbor's house to watch Game 3. Our neighbors were Dodger Fans and I was cheering so emphatically for the Yankees that at one point I was invited to either 'quiet down' or go home to watch the game! (Fans can be rabidly loyal).

*Side note: those darn Dodgers ended up winning that World Series after losing the first two games in New York at Yankee Stadium!

In 1982 we moved to Missouri and I became an 'instant' fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, and am to this day. I love all of baseball and enjoy watching any team, but I'm particularly devoted to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees.

I don't memorize 'stats', but I love listening to the sports announcers quoting current and past statistics about players and teams and enjoy seeing the current stats flashed on the screen when a player comes up to bat. I also enjoy word games and quizzes about baseball.

I also have some favorite baseball announcers and was thrilled to bits to meet the 'best-of-the-best', Jack Buck. This picture of us with Jack Buck and Mike Shannon (and, of course, Fredbird) was taken at Busch Stadium in St. Louis in the late 1980s and is a real treasure.

My baseball 'fandom' includes everything connected with baseball. First there are the teams and individual players I love to follow, but I also have favorite stadiums, sports announcers and managers.

I have two favorite managers in baseball, both connected to my favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals.

The first is Joe Torre who managed the Cardinals from 1990 to 1995. In fact I got to meet him in person and have an autographed baseball from that meeting.

The second favorite manager is Tony La Russa, who was the Redbirds' manager from 1996 to 2011. It was the 2011 season which will long stand out in the minds and memories of all us St. Louis Cardinals fans, the season the Cardinals were down to 'One Last Strike' TWICE (first on the last day of the regular season and then during the World Series) facing virtual elimination... and somehow pulled it out to win the 2011 World Series. I was living in St. Louis during that fantastic season ~ watching every game on TV ~ following every moment of their season (along with thousands of other St. Louis Cardinals fans). There is no way to describe the (baseball) excitement throughout the city of St. Louis during that fabulous 2011 October!

I share my love of baseball with my brother and we often watch games together, attend minor league baseball team games, or just generally 'talk' baseball. My grandsons pictured here have enjoyed playing baseball, from recreation T-Ball to the High School team. My immediate family are sports fans, but not necessarily baseball (son likes football and hockey). In fact, my son can't believe how I seem to have a 'baseball story' to tell for any subject he brings up. He swears I can relate anything to Baseball... and he's right! Well, you DO know that the word 'fan' comes from 'fanatic', don't you? :-)

As a baseball fan, I have written several stories about my baseball memories and excursions, favorite players and teams, and plan on sharing many more. I look forward to reading favorite stories from fellow writers who also subscribe to the term 'Baseball Fandom'. Let's all join together to enjoy Baseball. Play Ball'.