I am a Red Sox fan. I always have been. I always will be.
Even though I was born in California, grew up in Philadelphia, went to school in Rhode Island, and now live in North Carolina, that will never change. It will never change because it never has changed for generations before me.
My grandfather was a Red Sox fan. My father has been a Red Sox fan his entire life. I have been a Red Sox fan my entire life. Therefore, and by extension, my children have been Red Sox fans since birth.
I have never given my children any sets of options of which team they can root for. And any small hints of one of them being a turncoat is met with a stern and definitive disproving look from me. But that’s not to say they don’t have a choice. I have always said they can be a Red Sox fan or they can choose to not support the sport of major league baseball in any way.
This house rule is one in which, in most years when the Red Sox are horrible, doesn’t even come up in conversation. But in years like this one, where the Red Sox are actual contenders, seems to dominate most conversations. And to make matters worse, my wife is from St. Louis, the home of the Cardinals who the Red Sox are facing wednesday night in the World Series.
This unwavering, rigid, viewpoint is unlike anything else in my life. It is unlike any other concept of parenting that I apply to my children. On issues of religion, while I have my own views, I am open to the idea of my kids making their own decisions. On political issues and social causes I can accept any viewpoint my children may take as long as it is based on facts and research. Heck, I really don’t even care which basketball team they root for as long as it isn’t the Lakers!
So why do I feel this strongly about this particular issue regarding my children being Red Sox fans? I have thought a lot about this very subject for the last couple of weeks. Only this evening did I come to the realization of why.
Loyalty.
Sure, the Red Sox have won 2 World Series in my lifetime now but I still wear my almost 30 years of non-winning fandom as a badge of honor. To root for a team year in and year out before they are winners takes a loyal fan. That loyalty is something I am proud of. That loyalty is something I hope my kids learn.
But loyalty goes way beyond that. I talk to my dad after almost every Red Sox game. He is always up for chatting about it. I remember being a small kid watching on TV with him. I remember in junior high staying up late to watch Baseball Tonight with him. In high school, talking about the game at breakfast before heading off to school. In college talking on the phone and exchanging letters (pre-email folks) about the games. And now today, getting text messages during and immediately following the games.
Through all my years, the Red Sox have been loyal to my dad and I. We celebrated wins together and commiserated losses together. When my dad wanted to take me on a trip to celebrate my high school graduation, we went to Fort Myers to see the Red Sox spring training. When the Sox were 6 outs away from reversing the curse in 2004 my dad was the person I called on the phone to share the moment with. They don’t know it but the Red Sox have been the common bond between my dad and I through all my years. I’m hoping to have that same bond with my kids.
Is it brainwashing? Maybe. But that’s the chance I’m willing to take.
***Post-2013 World Series Update
So last night was amazing. Game 6. A chance to watch my beloved Red Sox win a World Series at home. At Fenway Park. The place where I have countless amazing memories. My kids watched the first inning with me and then headed to bed. At the 8th inning, with the Sox holding a commanding lead, I went upstairs and woke them up. My 3 kids: ages 6-11, decked out in Red Sox shirts at 11:00PM at night. Way past their bedtime. Sitting on the couch with my wife and I watching our team win it all. Could it get any better than that? For me, it did. My dad called me on the phone and while on speaker phone watched the ending with my family.
My kids may not remember the game in years to come. They may not care. They may not obsess with what the pitch count was when Uehara struck out Carpenter with 2 outs in the 9th. But I will. Like the championships in 2004 and 2007. Like the close ones in ’86 and ’03. But most of all I will take with me the rest of my life the experience of 3 generations of Sox fans watching our favorite team win it all.
You may also like:
Gregory Ng
GOAL: Visit 100 National Parks as a family by 2020. Favorite Parks: Zion National Park, Mt Rainier National Park, Valley Forge National Historical Park
Follow Me:
Comments are closed.