Red Sox Baseball

Austin at about 6 months old decked out in Red Sox attire

Well, it is officially baseball season again. Red Sox opening day is like a holiday in this house. Brian plans for it for days and takes off of work if at all possible, to see the first game. Unfortunately this year's opening day for the Red Sox was at 5am as they were playing in Japan. I did not partake in the festivities. Poor Brian had to go it alone. That is just asking too much from me, I am not that addicted yet.

Baseball is a huge part of our family. Brian has been a Red Sox fan for as long as he can remember, and becomes more obsessed and 'crazy' about them as each season ends. If you want to understand it at all, watch Fever Pitch. The guy in that movie is Brian to-a-T. He has passed his love for baseball on to Austin, who if given the choice, would play baseball over anything else. He spends his days and nights playing catch with himself if he can't get Brian or I to play with him. We dropped the ball last year about getting him signed up for little league with Aubrey on the way, but have vowed to sign him up this year. I can not wait. I think I am more excited than he is. So I am sure stories about his little league adventures will follow. Aubrey of course has no choice as well, it is mandatory to be a Sox fan to live in this house, and Brian is already checking into when she can start T-Ball.

My relationship with the Red Sox has been one of love/hate. In the first years of Brian and I's relationship, I truly did not understand the importance of Red Sox baseball to him. I thought, like most people, it was a past time, a hobby. Not so, it is his life (or at least a major part of it). Over the years, I have learned to love the game, and to love the players. During the 2003 season, I was pregnant with Austin. I was always so exhausted after work, I would veg in the recliner and watch the games through sleepy eyes. Brian would make cookies almost nightly, and we would eat one for every run the Sox scored. Boy, the high scoring games were awesome! No wonder I gained 60 pounds with that pregnancy! I look forward every year to our trips to Texas to watch the Red Sox play the Rangers. And in the mean time, we go to as many AAA games here as we can. I can recall becoming teary eyed on more than one occasion when one of my favorite players was traded. I celebrated with Brian when they won the world series. But I just don't think I felt it like he did. Brian says I have become addicted too. I think that is just his wish. I have to admit, I do enjoy watching a good game, or arguing with a Yankee fan. I have never been so mad as when a Yankee fan looked at Austin with his Red Sox gear on and told me we were committing child abuse. I have become used to the waves, nods and camaraderie that comes with being a Sox fan. It is rare that someone doesn't shout "Go Sox!" at us when we are wearing our "B" hats (they are called B hats because that is the first letter Austin learned, and he has always called his hat his B).

The 'hate' part comes into play when the Red Sox take precedence over every thing we do. We have to plan daily activities around the baseball schedule during the season. "We can't do that Deb, the Sox are playing at 1pm", or "We have to be home by at least the 4th inning", and even that kills him. Brian even joked that he planned our children's births so that they were born on off days. Thank goodness it worked out that way, I am not sure Brian would have been present at their births! By the end of the season, I am ready for it to be over. But the off season is long, and with each new opening day we are all excited with anticipation to the fun times we will be having throughout the season. I think overall, the Red Sox brings our family closer together.

Go Sox...

Aubrey with Mommy's "B" hat on