The Quest

The Baltimore Orioles have been in town since '54 and have had over 900 men don their uniform. My goal is to obtain a signed card of each player. If you have something I need, or see something you want, don't be shy, we can make a deal.

Collection Statistics

Total Players 877/977 = 89.25%
1991 Orioles Crown Set
Total Players 309/465 = 66.45%
Alive Players 274/369 = 74.25

Thursday, January 3, 2013

The Most Thoughtful Christmas Gift

My family has grown by leaps and bounds over the last six years.  My Old Man remarried and I gained three step-brothers, a step-mom, and step-cousins.  Then my sister got married and we all started having kids.  It has gotten to the point where Christmas focuses on the kids.  The adults draw names and buy a gift for their selection.

As luck would have it, I drew my brother-in-law Steve, and he me.  Steve is from Long Island and is a huge Yankees and Giants fan.  Somehow my sister can stand him.  He is a carpenter and outdoors-man, so subscriptions to his favorite magazines found their way to his stocking.

When I opened my gift I was shocked.

"Yankees Suck!" by Jim Gerard
 
 
He said when he saw the book he had to buy it for me.  That no one would appreciate the book more than I would.  He was correct.  I can't imagine how difficult it is for a fan to buy something ripping his team apart.  I guess Yankee fans are used to the hatred, I know he is.  We definitely do not see eye to eye in sports.  That makes this gift even more special.
 
My only issue with the book is that the writer himself does not hate the Yankees.  It is an homage to the hatred his friends have for the Yankees.  With that distance comes softness.  The scathing review of the Evil Empire, this is not.  Fuel for the fire, yes it is.
 
One of my favorite movies yielded a great quote that is very appropriate when speaking of the Yankees.  Just like Lundberg, they "represent all that is soulless and wrong."  Thanks Office Space.

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