Love is the Most Important Thing in the World, but Baseball is Pretty Good too...

The First Kiss

"How can you not be romantic about baseball?" Billy Beane spoke these words, and you hear them all the time, I know you do.  However, when you really stop to think about it, I mean really let that question sink in, you almost want to kiss Beane yourself.  

I may not come off as the romantic type, but I am a female, this means once in a while I do love the mushy gushy romance stuff.  While I don't have a special guy in my life to share those romantic moments with, I do realize there are other ways to express your love for something until someONE comes along.  As most of you know I work...a lot.  However in addition to my day job that I've had for almost a decade, I am blessed to have many career opportunities in the thing I'm the most passionate about.  Baseball.  

Your first thought is "Oh she loves men in tight, white pants..." Well duh.  I'm human.  However think about that man in tight white pants, making a web-gem diving catch, covered in red dirt, making Sportscenter's Top 10 plays of the day.  You kind of give out a sigh only The Notebook could give someone right?  

Love doesn't necessarily have to mean romance though.  Love and baseball also means spending time with your friends and family at a baseball game.  Think about it.  You are combined with so many people who share a passion not only about the game itself, but most of the time, the team you're watching.  I can't tell you how many times I leave O.co Coliseum with such a high.  That type of high you get after an amazing date, and possibly a hot make-out session.  What?  You were thinking it.  

Make my cleat pop-up when we kiss so I know it's real.

My parents, brothers, and myself spent most days at a baseball field.  Whether daddy was coaching, mom was score keeping, or one of my brothers or myself had a game.  So growing up, you're surrounded by the exact same people for years and years and years.  You spend crappy weathered games bundled up in your favorite MLB team blankets,  the hot days sweating from places you didn't know existed,  getting bleacher butt which is extremely annoying (especially for someone like me who NEVER sat the bench ;) and of course the grueling hours of practices, games, and inclement weather.  Sounds horrible right?  IT WAS AWESOME.  Then, some of the brothers don't go on to play college baseball, or stop playing, and some of us grow a part, but you never lose the feeling you get when you're at a baseball field.  To the point you think it's weird people think it's weird you have those feelings.  I know, it's weird.

Am I weird?  Probably.  Most girls get obsessed with the newest Chanel perfume (well I do that sometimes), I'm sitting there, you look over and my face is ass-deep my baseball mitt, because have you smelt a leather baseball mitt?!  Or the sound when a Fungo bat hits a ball when the team takes the infield.  The clink of a metal bat against metal cleats.  If you're not turned on by now, I don't know what to tell you.

Ok ok ok, so this may even be borderline inappropriate, and I'm not exactly allowed to say things that will get me in trouble, I'm just simply showing you how much I appreciate the sport of baseball.  From the time I was little up until now, it's played a huge role in my life.  My first KISS happened in the dugout of my little league field.  Think about it.  The lights shining down on you, the beautiful green grass and red dirt beneath your feet, the bench to sit on.  It's pretty romantic.

One of my favorite baseball romance stories to tell is one time when I was at a baseball game (I can't remember if I was working or there for fun) and I was near the wives and girlfriends (I happen to know someone on staff so she gave me tickets to sit in the "family section"), one of the girls was in the middle of a conversation when I hear "HEADS UP!" we look over and there's a ball the rolled perfectly to her feet.  It was thrown by her boyfriend, one of the pitchers from the team.  It had his autograph on it (with the jersey number of course), and it simply said "I LOVE YOU."  My heart melted, and I was insanely jealous.  They are now married with a beautiful daughter last I heard.  Just brought the biggest smile to my face.  

I've also never been on a date to a baseball game.  I'm saving that first one for someone special.  Why not?  I am probably the most strange female to go to a game with.  

I know, I probably totally weirded you out on the cheesiness.  It could be that time of year.  Every one of my friends seems to have found their soul mate.  

Until my time comes, I remain me.  Watching a stolen base, in hopes of one day finding that perfect man, who has stolen my heart.