Got a Happy Story? Superstitions & Baseball Edition

We live in Red Sox Nation.  It is difficult to explain what that means to someone not from here.  I grew up paying marginal attention to the Red Sox but my grandmother and my mom were both huge fans.  soberdad grew up sneaking transistor radios into school on game day and listening to the game instead of the teacher.  soberboy was able to recite the Sox line up and their numbers, in order, when he was three.

As the Sox travel to Colorado I was thinking about all of the oddball superstitions we have attached to them.  soberdad has always teased me for my magical thinking but he engages in it himself.  After the Sox lost the 3rd game to Cleveland he went out and bought himself a new Red Sox jacket.  He did that in 2004 when the Sox were down 3-0 to the Yankees.  They never lost a game in the playoffs after he bought the jacket.  When he walked in the door the other day he just shrugged and mumbled, "well it worked last time."

photo by soberdad

Got a Happy Story is a community gathering every Friday night where we share stories large and small that have put a smile on our face.  It is a time to acknowledge the joy and wonder we experience.  The Happy Story diary exists as a way to anchor the community in hope and comfort while we do the hard work of taking back our country. Everyone and all sorts of stories and pictures are welcome. May we find joy and strength here.

I was into the run in 2003 that fell short.  soberboy had dragged me into "the hunt" as soberdad calls it.  In 03 soberboy was in first grade and he loved Pedro and Nomar with all of the passionate intensity of a 6 year old.  During the playoffs he specifically chose his shirt depending on who was pitching or who needed a good night hitting. It was a bizarre little ritual he had each morning and soberdad blamed it all on me.  "You're teaching him this superstitious magical thinking!" he complained.  But soberboy was doing it all on his own.

I did have a hand in the game time superstitions.  We watched the game with the volume turned down and with the soundtrack to Queer as Folk Season 1 playing.  I chose the song for whatever was going on during the game.

We also had the Scrabble board out and soberboy was spelling all the players names.  We really needed more Rs that year.  soberdad was horrified and watched in the other room with the door shut to block out our insanity.  I had to work the night of the 7th game and told soberdad about the music and the Scrabble board and insisted he follow the routine to the letter.  He refused.  And although I got it all going when I got home it was too late.  soberboy cried his eyes out when the Sox lost Game 7.

In 2004 I wasn't going to go through that again no matter what soberboy wanted.  But things kept steamrolling into the playoffs.  soberdad's old Navy buddy sent tickets to the Angels series and soberdad took soberboy.  Then the friend came out for the Yankees series.  The jacket was bought and the rest is history.  What I remember most about that series, other than soberdad staying in Boston for the duration, is all of the little flukey things and the miracle of game 7 with the Yankees.  There were those weirdo coincidences like the 1918 penny found on the snack counter, the kid getting hit with a ball in the stands, the hair fetish, and the fact that it had been 86 years and in restaurants 86 means it's off the menu that night ("86 the lobster, that was the last one").  And, of course, the eclipse.  I remember soberdad bringing soberboy out and lifting him up in the sky saying, "that's the curse leaving."

So soberboy already has a very different experience of growing up in Red Sox nation than soberdad.  He has no idea how amazing and miraculous it was.  Even though soberdad denies the jacket was a superstitious purchase, "it was on sale!" I know better.  I have to do laundry tonight so that the red socks are clean and the Dice K t-shirts are ready for tomorrow.  Then they'll watch the game listening to the announcers, calling my mom between innings, and wearing the lucky clothing.  And by doing that, they'll be bringing mojo and luck to the Sox.

photo by soberdad

What's your happy story this week?