Thursday, November 15, 2007

I have created a monster

When I first got together with the Crotchety Old Lady we shared many passions. Sadly, Yankees baseball was not one of them. But over the last 15 very happy years, she has gradually been converted to fandom. I always imagined growing older with the woman I love and the team I have been a fan of for more years than I care to count. Sitting on the couch while enjoying each other and the best in sports entertainment--what a way to spend my days.

Gradually, the Old Lady has evolved and become a more knowledgeable fan. Again, this could only be considered a good thing. She has a favorite player (Andy Pettitte) and has Yankees gear. I should be the happiest man on the planet.

But much like Dr. Frankenstein, my plan has gone awry. I have created a fan in the purest sense of the word. Fan, as everyone should know, is short for fanatic. And that would be the way to describe my lady.

When A-Rod filed for free agency, her first reaction was that he betrayed her and the team.

And now that he has announced that he wants to come back (crawling back is how she described it) she has become really angry. She wants to take my A-Rod Jersey and cut it up and use it for dustrags after she washes the floor with it. Even though he is perhaps the best player of the last 10 years, and one of the greatest ever, he is terrible, according to her. A total bum because he did so badly in the playoffs. And she has pointed out at least a half dozen times that the Yankees lost the playoffs, and never made it to the Series totally because of him.

The Yankees are looking to re-sign Mo. And again, she is angry that he had what could only be considered an average year by every standard. She expects perfection each and every time out. She is ready to dump the greatest reliever in history because he had an average year.

I have created a monster, and she has turned on me.