Nightmares Do Come True

As of today, the White Sox are five and a half games out of the American League Wild Card race. There's only one week left to play, so they're pretty much done for the season. No playoffs this year, no undescribable joy will wash over the city of Chicago, just another post-season that will most likely end up in another Yankee championship. For those of you who decided not to watch last year's World Series (and there were a bunch of you, considering it was the lowest rated championship series ever) I hope this is what you wanted: Derek Jeter and A-Rod hoisting up the silver trophy, smiles spread across their faces like cream cheese, and the city of New York getting what they've had 28 times already. Yep, makes me want to puke too. But I'm sure you'll all still watch.

After another season of east-coast writers blathering on and on about the Yankees and Red Sox (seriously, if I have to hear anymore about Bill Simmons' love for the Red Sox, I may just put my fist through a computer) I wonder where the heart of the baseball loving world is. No one wanted to watch the White Sox and Astros (2 teams that never grace that stage) yet all I hear from everyone outside of New York is "I'm so sick of the Yankees." Maybe it's the fact that they win all of the time, or that they get the most press, or that no matter what happens Derek Jeter can do no wrong. Maybe it was the plethora of ESPN segments documenting, in minute detail, the slump of A-Rod, or the fact that he graced the cover of SI as soon as he crawled out of it. Maybe it's Steinbrenner and his "I don't care how many babies die as long as we win" attitude. Maybe it's the weekly paycheck you have to fork over just to see a game in that garbage dump known as Yankee Stadium. Or maybe it's the fact that every time you turned around in the 90's, New York was winning a championship. Whichever your reason, make sure you're aware of this: whatever team you support, you do so selfishly, without any thought to the good of baseball. You want to watch Desperate Housewives instead of an amazing World Series? That's fine, but get used to seeing the Yankees winning it every other year. Eat up Jeter like he's a french silk pie, becuase that's all you're going to have to eat for a long time.

You see, baseball wants the Yankees to win, and they'll do anything to make sure that the kids from the Bronx are in the playoffs every year. It's about money people, money from ratings, and with the Yankees comes those ratings. And the fat man gets richer. How much money did Steinbrenner and Bud Selig make off of last years playoffs? I couldn't say, but I bet they'll make twices as much this year. Good for them, they don't have enough as it is. Right?

My point is to show how futile an effort it is for any team to think that they can build a dynasty unless they're stationed in New York. Baseball doesn't want it, and what baseball doesn't want baseball doesn't get. Everyone outside of Houston and half of Chicago played their part in exacerbating this problem last post season. You sat on your couches and watched Big Brother 412 and not two deserving teams on baseball's grandest stage. You gave up on the game because your team wasn't involved. Selfish and damning. Good job people, I hope you fucking loooove A-Rod then.

So now I wonder: are there any true baseball fans left. When defining the true fans of a sport (and not a team) we have to consider how dedicated the people are to viewing and participating in all things pertaining to that sport. A true baseball fan watches every inning of the game he's viewing, unless his wife tells him otherwise. A true baseball fan watches that late west-coast game until he can't keep his eyes open. A true fan watches the playoffs all the way through, no matter who wins. And so, as a result of the television ratings of last year's World Series (one that didn't involve the Red Sox or Yankees) I've come to the conclusion that there are hardly any true fans left in this country. That, seriously, makes me want to cry. We all know that the players no longer play for the love of the game and we, as fans, berate them for their greediness and lack of morality. But we're all just the same as them. Only we're not millionaires, so what's our excuse? As soon as it becomes obvious that our team isn't going to win it all, we stop watching. Or, in other words, we stop filling the pockets of baseball's brass. That's when the phone call is made to Bud, "Give Steinbrenner more cash, and make sure his boys win." Excuse me while I go relieve my stomach cramps.

So the Yankees it is. Dark blue skies with pinstriped clouds, and Jeter's chiseled mug on every billboard like the face of Big Brother. He's watching you, and pretty soon, you'll have no other choice but to watch him.