Sangria and Wagon Vacancy

My dad goes crazy when he's in a big pool, like one of those $500 just to enter with a grand prize of like $25G, and my Mom says something like, If you win, we're redoing the driveway. Because he says as soon as you start planning what you're going to do with the money, you've already lost the pool. Jinxing it. So I'm going to refrain from talking about the stellar mood I'm in.

I had a really good meal last night, fusilli with chicken, sundried tomatos, and brocoli. AND SANGRIA. It's very tough to top a night of sitting on an outdoor 2nd floor balcony of a restaurant, watching the people on the NYC streets walk beneath you, while you knock down a pitcher of sangria on a weekday night in April when the weather is still 80 degrees at 9pm.

I'm glad Pavano came through last night. Didnt watch any of the game AGAIN. That's 3 in a row. Huh. I used to be known as the chick who didn't miss an inning. Well, actually, Crazy Yankee Chick to be exact. (If you've ever in a bar on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, mention Crazy Yankee Chick. Maybe you'll get a knowing smile. Or kicked out. Depending on where you go.)

I was talking to my coworker who very arbitrarily has somewhat astute observations on the Yankees without even being a diehard fan. We were talking about A-rod, (what else), and I was still sticking to my guns that he's the best player in baseball, despite this early showing. And he said, yeah well he's A-rod. He's an unbelievable player and a force to be reckoned with, but I bet you anything there will be someone else this year who puts up close to the same numbers as him, and who's making $8 million a year instead of 25.

And I thought about it, and he's probaby right. A-rod consistently puts up big numbers, but every year, there's some breakout player who will come close. I mean, who the hell ever heard of Beltran before last year? Or Brian Roberts this year? That drives me crazy. The whole Beltran phenomenon. My sister and I used to get into such heated arguments about it, like fights that culminated in her storming out. She was a big Beltran supporter, and I just couldn't hang my hat on a player no one gave much attention to until last year, and who's "big numbers" consisted of a .258 season batting average.

Everyone always says Yankee fans are bandwagon fans, and you know what, the way I see it, yankee fans are yankee fans. I'm not saying I like fans who stop liking a team when they're losing, but if a fan decides to "jump on the bandwagon" and then stick around after, say, the 2004 ALCS, who cares? It's like a corporation, we're always looking for new blood. And everyone knows Yankees don't condition their farm league. Yankees and their respective fans bring in older talent. That's how it is. So come jump on the bandwagon, pull up a memory. The more the merrier.

While I love fresh fan recruits, I refuse to jump on the player bandwagon. For a lot of reasons. Mostly because I hate how everyone on the Player Wagon acts like they got their first. "I always knew Santana was going to have a huge year!" Kinda like how ALL GUYS always always always have that unduly aggravating tendency to watch a basketball game, and then when there's a foul in like the 2nd quarter, they'll say, "Well, that's it. That's the game right there. Game over." AND THEN, say the team does lose, then they're all, "Well what did I tell you. Foul in the 2nd did them in." There's a 50-50 fucking chance you'll get that right. I could say after tipoff, "Done deal. There's the game" and still have a 50% chance of being right.

So this is why I won't hop on any player wagons anytime soon. I'd much prefer to find some random ass player and decide that he is going to be a superstar this year. Like Placido Polanco or Jeremy Reed. (Both of which are in my fantasy team. Everyone during the draft thought I was nuts for taking these 2 in like the 10 and 12th rounds.) OH JUST WAIT. We'll see who's laughing last. And when my weirdo players are bating .345 by the end of the year, I'm not letting any of you on my wagon. Unless you bring food and beer and a beirut table. (I have the ping pong balls and cups already on the wagon, no worries.)

Then I can be persuaded.