Take me out to the ballgame

I'm not much of a sports fan, but as a teacher I learned it was very helpful to be up on what was happening in major sports like baseball and football (and sometimes soccer and tennis and golf). It really helps in establishing rapport with the younger guys in class, the ones I was always looking for ways to appear any way but motherly (not the best image to offer an 18-22 year old guy). But what's a gal to do when she simply doesn't watch much TV and prefers audiobooks to radio in the car?? How was I supposed to keep abreast of what was going on?

Enter my best email buddy, who is an avid Giants fan and is generally up to speed on what is going on in the rest of sports world too and who almost always gives me a daily baseball update, beginning as soon as Spring training starts that continues on through the World Series, even IF/WHEN her darling Giants don't make the grade.

Here is today's report which not unlike the Saturday poker report makes me grin (especially noticing how this Giants fan maintains heart when her team has failed miserably):

Baseball is getting very interesting. The American league is tied at one a piece but our league has the Rockies 3-0 against the D'Backs and they could close out today. The cool thing is that the Rockies have won 20 of their last 21 games! That is unheard of! The other cool thing is there are some old Giants on the Rockies team that are really doing well. Also, the pitcher who gave up the winning home run to an ex-Giant last night was an ex-pitcher for us too!

Why, you might ask, do these reports remain important now that I've retired? There are men in my family who talk sports (surprise, surprise), and I admit that I simply do not like to be left out of any conversation by lack of understanding. Plus it helps for jiving with the convenience store clerk and the neighbor walking his dogs. I'm ever eager to establish rapport and sports talk works.

And of course, there is also the language in these little ditties. Can you hear it? The lingo that rings with pleasure?
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