Bold Announcement

Let me prefice this by saying I realize I may get some heat for this. Anything from "Baseball is boring", "you turncoat motherfucker", etc. Now to the good stuff...

I'll admit that I am EXTREMELY excited for the upcoming baseball season. I'm not entirely sure as to why, but all of the main components of the game... being outside on a warm summer day with a cold beer and a stale hot dog in hand, the history, the beauty, are all resonating deep within my heart this spring. I have a fantasy baseball team for the first time in 5 years, I'm reding articles, the whole 9.

With this new found joy, I came to a conslusion that while I may be unsure about, for some reason "FEELS" right. I am throwing my hat into the ring for 1 of the hard luck cases in recent memory. I'm becoming a Phillies fan.

I've been raised a Red Sox fan, and the moment they won the Series a few years back will not only be a night, but a solid month of non-stop memories, culminating with a sick me counting outs and hugging my Mom after the final out, finally believing in the truly unbelievable.

The thing with that is this.... it wasn't "mine". I was forced into the Red Sox Nation with the same atmosphere as your parents deciding which religion is best suited for your needs. While there is a lot of history in that, and the stories out of the Nation that fateful fall actually made me well up with tears in some cases, I was somewhat at arm's reach from it. I didn't grow up living and dying with every season, I became a fan by proxy. My grandfather was an alter boy with Yaz when they were kids, and in turn, my family became Sox fans when Carl made the team. So while that story will forever be a part of Kwasnieski family lore, it's not a reason to root for the Sox. it's a reason to root for Yaz.

Here is what I DO remember as a kid and professional baseball. Going to the Vet with my grandfather (die hard Phightin Phils fan), going to the Dog House on the way up to the game, and stopping for pizza on the way home. Without fail, every time. I remember the give aways, Juan Samuel being my favorite Phillie (he wore my favorite number 8), laughing at Von Hayes and his nose being the size of Kenya, wondering how Ken Tkulve could throw like that, etc. It wasn't wins and losses, it was true fandom as a kid, and it was bliss.

So while the interest faded as I grew older, when I stopped collecting baseball cards, and my interest turned to football and basketball, I became disinterested in all things Phillies. The Len Dystrka, Mitch Williams, John Kruk years (and another epic city of Philadelphia melt down) had absolutely zero impact on my life. Unlike the Sixers getting crushed by the Lakers in 2000, or basically every year I've been a Charger fan. Which is why it's ironic that I lost interest after the stories came out how "tainted" those teams really were.

So while I tuned in for Cal's streak, the home run summer of Mac and Sammy, and watched the playoffs, my heart was never truly in to it. Which is why this year is different. I'm excited, I need a place to put my unbridled passion. Re-capture my youth. Create memories. I need something thats "mine" (like the Chargers and Sixers are). So I stumble upon a team with young stars and a rabid fan base awaiting something to grasp on to. I read all the great things about their players, Aaron Rowand giving everything on the field, I read this about Ryan Howard (http://articles.phillymag.com/articles/ryan_howard_is_not_a_creep_a_cheat_a_liar_or_a_fraud/ ), and it hits me. All of this is SUPPOSED to happen.

So Phillies, you've gained a fan. While 1 of my deeper regrets was not repaying my grandfather by taking him to the new Citizens Bank park, with his son, 3 grandchildren, and great grandchild, as we discussed, before his death last year. I can do it post mordum. I can be along for the ride, no matter where it takes me. I can rekindle the joy I had as a kid. I can re-live memories with friends and family. I can love a sport that brought me in to all the other sports avenues all over again. I can be a fan, and make it truly mine.

Lets play ball......