No doubt about it, you crushed this one. Reminded me of staying awake after my 8 o’clock summer bed time listening to the Buccos games incognito on my am/fm radio headphones. Mind you, this is when the Pirates were still relevant after the All-Star break with pre-juiced Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla prior to him signing the best/worst deal ever with the Mets. I remember seeing Andy Van Slyke pee behind the centerfield wall at 3 Rivers Stadium at a game. Spanky Lavallierre, Sid Bream, Chico Lind and da gang- straight nostalgia
I was never a baseball fan. We moved from Detroit to Long Beach Mississippi in 1978 (3 weeks prior to my 7th birthday). Once there, we could get Braves games, but with no proximity, fandom never took for any pro sports (1970's-90's Saints were a sporting atrocity).
Context laid, I was working at a restaurant in 1995 on the night he broke the streak, a coworker a giant Ripken fan. Even without fandom, I knew the streak was important and sat there with my friend watching the 20 min long standing ovation.
I was always amused how, when traveling through Alabama in April on tour, the sports radio stations were just wall-to-wall Crimson Tide commentary. In April! That's when it hit me how big SEC football really is– it's really the only sport in a four-state radius.
Love that you remember the streak being broken even as a non-baseball fan.
No doubt about it, you crushed this one. Reminded me of staying awake after my 8 o’clock summer bed time listening to the Buccos games incognito on my am/fm radio headphones. Mind you, this is when the Pirates were still relevant after the All-Star break with pre-juiced Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla prior to him signing the best/worst deal ever with the Mets. I remember seeing Andy Van Slyke pee behind the centerfield wall at 3 Rivers Stadium at a game. Spanky Lavallierre, Sid Bream, Chico Lind and da gang- straight nostalgia
What a great read. As an avid baseball fan (Indians/Guardians) growing up, I felt every word you wrote. Stay well Robbe. Now let’s play some ball.
Hey Robbe! Die hard Orioles fan here. 2024 might be something special for us! :) Also from Maryland myself. Thanks for subscribing!!
Man, I'm so stoked on this team. Gonna be a good year for sure. Thanks for reading, love your substack!
I really loved this!
Thank you!
I was never a baseball fan. We moved from Detroit to Long Beach Mississippi in 1978 (3 weeks prior to my 7th birthday). Once there, we could get Braves games, but with no proximity, fandom never took for any pro sports (1970's-90's Saints were a sporting atrocity).
Context laid, I was working at a restaurant in 1995 on the night he broke the streak, a coworker a giant Ripken fan. Even without fandom, I knew the streak was important and sat there with my friend watching the 20 min long standing ovation.
I was always amused how, when traveling through Alabama in April on tour, the sports radio stations were just wall-to-wall Crimson Tide commentary. In April! That's when it hit me how big SEC football really is– it's really the only sport in a four-state radius.
Love that you remember the streak being broken even as a non-baseball fan.
Interestingly, my godfather was a University of Michigan Alum so I grew up on that. I was clearly an interloper in the Deepest Dirtiest of South...