Here's a more thorough explanation of my team allegiance. .
For many years I followed the Yankees very closely. As a former New York City resident, I was able to follow them on XM Radio & the Extra Innings cable package after I left NYC. I live in Houston now for the second time in my life. I saw probably 120 Yankees games a year (cable), listened to the ones that were blacked-out (XM), and attended a few on visits back to NYC every year.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the office...
During the 08/09 off-season I found myself feeling disconnected emotionally from them. It started with the way they treated Pettitte. He's been a huge part of them making it to 6 World Series during his time there, but they very nearly discarded him, just like they did Bernie Williams a few years earlier.
Then came the Sabathia deal. I just couldn't get behind the vulgar spending for C.C. Then Burnett & Texiera were added and I felt like an outsider. The spending was obscene, particularly considering the economy. They also doubled ticket prices at a time when half the country can barely make ends meet. I felt removed from their values.
The Yankees have always had that "best team money can buy" label, but they also built from their farm system. Outsiders or casual fans seldom saw the team closely enough to realize the pennant-winning teams had been their home-built teams - Jeter, Pettitte, Williams, etc. The free agents got the headlines and the haters let them become the focus.
But this past off-season, I felt they had become a team that openly sent the message that they'll just purchase championships now and moved away completely from building teams. I not only didn't agree with it, I felt myself bothered by it.
I grew up in Houston (60s & 70s), so my first exposure to the game as a child was the Astros. I fell in love with the game through the Astros. I spent many a night in the Dome and followed the team closely through the years. Cedeno, Morgan, The Toy Cannon, Dierker, Cruuuuz, Niekro, J.R, Nolan - I was there for it all. I always followed them through the box scores in the newspaper after I moved to New York.
Since I've been back, I've certainly gone to plenty of Astros games and followed them somewhat. However, after I disconnected from the Yankees I found myself drawn back to the team that first moved me all those years ago. It wasn't a conscious decision at all - it just happened over the course of a few months. Truth is, it had been happening for years.
I listened to every Astros Spring Training game the past two years (XM) and I've already been to Minute Maid twice this year - ok, there's only been two games, but you get the idea. I put away my Yankees shirts & caps and I canceled the Extra Innings package. I bought a few new Astros shirts and two new Caps. On my desk at work, the Yankees cap that had always been displayed has been replaced with an Astros cap. Next to it is a Milo Hamilton bobble-head - "That one was a tape-measure job, Jimmy D"
I went to Fan Fest last weekend at Minute Maid and test-sat in several sections of the stadium to see where I want to buy season tickets. For the most part, I had the empty stadium to myself - Fan Fest was taking place in the concourses. I tried out about ten different sections - field, mezzanine, upper deck, etc, I was all over the place for about an hour. As I looked out at the empty stadium and the resting field, I took several minutes each time and pictured the game taking place.
It's a day game today, so I'm listening to it as I type. Tomorrow is an off-day, and Saturday the Phillies will be here. It's Turn Back The Clock day in honor of their 45th anniversary. They're giving away replicas of their 1965 jersey. The jersey they wore when I was a little kid. I'll be there.
I've returned to the team of my childhood - and I feel clean because of it. It's good to be home.