Fandom and trolls

 

It's safe to say that I have not watched Yankees games with the same intensity in recent days.

Most of that is getting into the grind of the Renegades season. Some of it is being careful about being a broadcaster and a fan.

I still felt a great surge of emotion on Opening Day and when Corey Kluber pitched his no-hitter.

But most of my reactions have been the shake of a head or the roll of the eyes. On occasion, there's been the small fist pump or a smile.

Still, last night, after two godawful losses to the Boston Red Sox, I invested myself in the third game. Why, Babe Ruth? Why?

I don't like national TV games. I had the sound muted and the radio call lagged behind. Why would I do this to myself?

Because I'm an idiot.

So...

The Yankees had a small lead that evaporated.

They trailed.

Then they came back in the bottom of the ninth to tie it up.

Then they had a chance to win but the opportunity was taken away by one of the worst ball/strike calls I think anyone has ever seen. One can't assume anything there. 

Yes, to be clear, despite how odiously awful it was, the Yankees didn't lose the game because of that.

They lost the game because the Red Sox -- the bleepity bleep bleep bleeping bleep of bleep Red Sox -- did everything better. They get timely hits, play defense, show heart, have leadership (including their cheating bleeping bleep bleep manager) and find a way to win.

The Yankees do none of that and they've done none of that for years.

I was alive for part of the 1962-1977 drought between championships. I lived through all of the 1978-1996 drought. I actually used to lull myself to sleep thinking about the nirvana that it would be when they finally won.

Then came those glorious late 90s. The early 2000s are a little harder to describe.

Then came 2009.

Since then? A few AL Championship appearances and a few other playoffs.

No World Series appearance let alone a title.

It feels as bad as ever and yet I don't blame management or the front office but that's rarely my style.

I blame the players. That's it.

Believe me, I read enough Twitter stupidity to have me fired up.

Indeed, after trying to stay level-headed, all it took was one online troll and the final out last night for me to want to take the TV ten feet from me and treat it Elvis-style*.

*I own no firearms so that wouldn't work. I do, however, own baseball bats. That would work.

The fire was back. The rage was back. 

I looked at the troll online.

I pondered a response.

I hesitated.

No, I thought. Let them sit in their world. Don't play down to their level.

It just wouldn't go well.

Nope. Let it go.

So I did.

To the victor goes the spoils.

And the trolls.

Life goes on and there's lots of baseball to be played.

If anything, I was proud for not bending to idiocy.

Let it go. It's a reflection on them.

I let it go and went to bed.

But, the Yankees really need to get it together. Fast.