As a one-time resident of Boston during both one of their heart-wrenching
losses to and their heart-bursting win over the New York Yankees, it is
difficult to deny the lingering affection for what one could call "my team",
despite the absurdity of having feelings for what is essentially a business.
I suppose it is more for the fans, who experienced each win or loss on both a
personal and epic scale, not the scale of future contract negotiations.
The same, I'm afriad to say, cannot be said of the Mariners. Since they
have failed to win even a league championship since their inception in 1977
(after the Seattle Pilots relocated to Milwaukee), popular opinion seems to be
that baseball is a waste of time and by extention that Safeco Field is a waste
of money; it is telling that I felt a greater fan presence for the Toronto
Blue Jays than the home team at tonight's game. As for the field, perhaps if
they had spent more money, they wouldn't have built next to a railroad
crossing, but the frequent train horns are besides the point.
All in all, though, I had a fine time watching the
game and consuming hot dogs, even though it wasn't Fenway Park. If it
means I can actually have a comofortable seat for at least nine innings, then
I'll welcome the change.