FanPost

FPF- How I became a fan

As a kid growing up, I was a casual fan, going to games occasionally, watching games rarely, etc. The only real memory I have of watching a game was the WS game- I was 6 years old and watched that ball go flying. I was, unfortunately for my mother, holding a bag of popcorn. Thankfully, she was shrieking too, so it was a few minutes before the glare came 'round.

Fast forward almost 20 years and I had nothing to do with baseball whatsoever. Somehow, someway, I found out about the Dickey CY story and the ensuing series of moves that were going to shoot us from mediocrity to contention over night. I started watching games whenever I could, and discovered how many different aspects there are to the game. The science and art of pitching, the psychology of hit counts, and seeming implausibility of hitting at all (link), the statistics involved, projectability of players, etc. etc. just blew my mind.

Everything about the game just spoke to me, more than any other sport. Hockey was painful because the Leafs were so awful for so long and until recently, didn't seem to be making any real attempt to get better. Now that they have a plan, I'm back into it. Football? I don't understand the obsession of watching people running into each other and wrestling. Basketball? That's the kind of sport where one or two players can carry a team. 1 Mike Trout hasn't done very much for the Angels.

Baseball though.... I love everything about it. Science, art, history, math, psychology, technology, the list goes on. To be anything beyond a casual fan requires a breadth of knowledge, that, compared to other sports, is unparalleled (not sure if that's true, but it seems to be to me). That. Is awesome.

I'm not sure if I just disqualified myself from being more than a casual fan, but I'm definitely on working on it.

While I'm here, an incredible amount of my knowledge and depth of understanding of the game is due to all of the incredible writers here. Tom, Matt W, Kevin P, Matt G, Minor Leaguer, Mike H, Scott C, and I'm sure I've missed a ton more, for which I'm sorry. Thank you all so much for this amazing environment (baseball only and clean language!), with amazing people involved. It has made me a better person and a better fan.

Editor's Note: This is a FanPost written by a reader and member of Bluebird Banter. It was not commissioned by the editors and is not necessarily reflective of the opinions of Bluebird Banter or SB Nation.