Let's go O's!

Last night my husband and I found ourselves at yet another O's game. Some couples like to go out to dinner, others indulge in watching a movie, a few brave souls like to go hiking, but not us, we like to head out to the stadium. At this point in the season I've lost count of how many games we've gone to. My profound obsession with baseball is probably one of the things that first caught my husband's attention. Unfortunately, it must be stated that my husband and I cheer for two different teams. I grew up in New York and idolize the New York Yankees (no, I did not become a Yankees fan because of Derek Jeter, nor do I think he is attractive), whereas my husband grew up in Baltimore and is a die hard O's fan. It's a workable difference. I mean, it's not like he's a Red Sox fan or a Met's fan... shudder.

I'm sure many baseball fan has seen this shirt before. In NY it has the tag line, "I cheer for two teams. The Yankees and whoever is playing the Red Sox." Obviously, in Boston the two teams are switched. Well, I now I have my own saying. "I cheer for three teams: The Yankees, The Orioles, and whoever is playing the Red Sox." Really the conflict between the O's and the Yank's isn't all that bad. The O's are just so lovable.

For example: Last night in the fourth inning Sean Casey slide in extremely hard at third base. Now, guys slide in hard all the time, but Mr. Casey thought it was appropriate to slide in with his spikes up. Not.cool.at.all. O's third basemen, Melvin Mora, was shook up on the play. In the fifth inning Daniel Cabrera had an open base to "walk" a batter. Cabrera is a pitcher who is known for his velocity and his lack of control at times. Retaliation. Happens all the time in baseball. It's the baseball equivalent of fighting in hockey. So yes, drilling a guy with a 98 mph fastball keeps the peace (okay, he could have slowed the ball down to only 90mph). The O's are just so lovable that Daniel Cabrera didn't retaliate and hit Kevin Youkilis, instead, he served him a nice two-run homerun pitch. That's how nice the O's are.

Hopefully, tonight the O's can avoid the sweep. There's nothing more upsetting to me than to see a beautiful stadium like Camden Yards full of cheering Red Sox fans. It's just sad, especially on a night where Camden Yards welcomed its 50th million fan. A place that has $5 Jack 'n Cokes (at the Warehouse Bar, but only until the first pitch) shouldn't be a sad place. It should be a happy place.

So please O's, oblige this adopted O's fan's wish for tonight. Please beat the Red Sox. I'll be there, cheering for you, clapping for you, stomping for you, heck, I'll even stand up and do the wave for you. If it helps, I can even pour soda on my brother-in-law. He's a Sox fan and I'll gladly defame his t-shirt if it will help the O's win. I even let Jax wear his O's harness on his walk today. You have to win now, my dog wore his O's harness. That thing only comes out for special purposes.