CoachC.
July 2nd, 2004, 12:54:42 AM
Last night was one of those special nights of the year that reminds me why I love sports so much.
Yankees-Red Sox. Just those three words alone are usually good enough to bring out the fan in just about every boy who's ever worn a Little League uniform, or has been alive long enough to understand what the words "The Curse" or "Bucky Dent" mean in the world of baseball.
I've seen plenty of baseball in my short life. I've seen plenty of great games, great players, and great players make great plays in great games. But what I watched last night for about four-and-a-half hours was, perhaps, the greatest baseball game, with some of the greatest plays, I have ever seen. And because it was the Yankees against the Red Sox, it just made the night that much more special.
I'm not going to give you any of the details of the game itself. You literally have to watch it for yourself to believe it. And with the countless amount of technology available at one's fingertips in today's world, that shouldn't be a problem. In fact, I'm sure this game will be replayed long enough and so many times over that my yet-to-be-born children will have no trouble catching it on some sort of "classic replay" years down the road.
Yes, it was "just a regular season game." And yes, my team, the Evil Empire New York Yankees, won it. But no matter who you root for, and no matter what level of fan you are, if you love sports like I do, watched this baseball game from start to finish, and were not completely overwhelmed with various emotions, then you have put life into much more of a perspective than I have.
This was so more than a baseball game. It was an example of why we compete. It was what us true sports fan always talk about - heart, hustle, and courage. But this time, those words weren't just thrown around like a whiffle ball in the backyard. They really came out - on both sides of the foul line.
I've often been told since I was very young that I take sports too much to heart. Well, if the way I felt watching Yanks/Sox 7/1/04 was what people meant when they said that to me, then I'm guilty as charged. And guess what? I'm not afraid to admit it. Because those thirteen innings of baseball were heartfelt enough to make me keep watching, and loving, sports.
It was even therapeutic. Call me crazy, but I'm one who believes that a ball game like this is healthy for the sole. We need them to come along once in a while. Any event that is able to make a young man completely forget about Saddam Hussein, Scott Peterson, and an upcoming Presidential election has to be pretty darn special - even if it's only until morning.
If you saw the game last night from Yankee Stadium, you most likely know exactly what I mean. But if you didn't, do yourself a favor: find this game somewhere, somehow, sit down, buckle up and watch it. And don't cheat yourself. Watch the entire game. You may just realize once again why you love sports so much.
Yankees-Red Sox. Just those three words alone are usually good enough to bring out the fan in just about every boy who's ever worn a Little League uniform, or has been alive long enough to understand what the words "The Curse" or "Bucky Dent" mean in the world of baseball.
I've seen plenty of baseball in my short life. I've seen plenty of great games, great players, and great players make great plays in great games. But what I watched last night for about four-and-a-half hours was, perhaps, the greatest baseball game, with some of the greatest plays, I have ever seen. And because it was the Yankees against the Red Sox, it just made the night that much more special.
I'm not going to give you any of the details of the game itself. You literally have to watch it for yourself to believe it. And with the countless amount of technology available at one's fingertips in today's world, that shouldn't be a problem. In fact, I'm sure this game will be replayed long enough and so many times over that my yet-to-be-born children will have no trouble catching it on some sort of "classic replay" years down the road.
Yes, it was "just a regular season game." And yes, my team, the Evil Empire New York Yankees, won it. But no matter who you root for, and no matter what level of fan you are, if you love sports like I do, watched this baseball game from start to finish, and were not completely overwhelmed with various emotions, then you have put life into much more of a perspective than I have.
This was so more than a baseball game. It was an example of why we compete. It was what us true sports fan always talk about - heart, hustle, and courage. But this time, those words weren't just thrown around like a whiffle ball in the backyard. They really came out - on both sides of the foul line.
I've often been told since I was very young that I take sports too much to heart. Well, if the way I felt watching Yanks/Sox 7/1/04 was what people meant when they said that to me, then I'm guilty as charged. And guess what? I'm not afraid to admit it. Because those thirteen innings of baseball were heartfelt enough to make me keep watching, and loving, sports.
It was even therapeutic. Call me crazy, but I'm one who believes that a ball game like this is healthy for the sole. We need them to come along once in a while. Any event that is able to make a young man completely forget about Saddam Hussein, Scott Peterson, and an upcoming Presidential election has to be pretty darn special - even if it's only until morning.
If you saw the game last night from Yankee Stadium, you most likely know exactly what I mean. But if you didn't, do yourself a favor: find this game somewhere, somehow, sit down, buckle up and watch it. And don't cheat yourself. Watch the entire game. You may just realize once again why you love sports so much.