Though many people may argue with you, baseball is America's greatest pastime and in the eyes of many, it always will be. It's not uncommon to see a group of guys get together at the bar to watch the MLB Playoffs, but to see a woman is a rare and beautiful thing. If you're one of these women, you know when I say it takes a very special woman to truly know and love this game. For those of you who encounter her, respect should be given, because there are far and few between that really know and can talk this game. If you don't really understand what comes with the package of knowing a girl who loves baseball, here are 10 things you'll find out pretty quick about her and her lifestyle.
1. We're extremely strategic.
In baseball, there are a million things going on at once. There are a thousand different scenarios that can happen with a man on first and third, you have at least 6 different options for a pitch that's about to happen, and each person on the offense is a different type of hitter with different capabilities. With that said, as a woman who knows the game, we know how to get things done and efficiently in multiple ways. Need to schedule a night with the girls? We've got a million ideas. Have a ton of errands to run and not a lot of time? Trust me, we'll figure out the best way to get multiple things done because that's one of the biggest concepts of baseball.
2. We're tired of you testing us.
This not only goes for girls that love baseball, but mainly any girl who loves sports in general. I've lost count of how many times I tell someone that I love baseball, and they immediately go into interrogating me about my knowledge. If we're a true fan, you'll see that we know our info if you just watch a game with us. We know we're rare, but not extinct.
3. We believe in family.
I don't know of any other sport that includes families and kids like baseball does. Baseball is one of those sports that if you didn't grow up with someone in the family or someone like family showing you the ropes of how it works, you probably consider it boring because you don't know the depth of it. You constantly see teams let kids throw the first pitch or come on the field for an in between inning game of some sort. Parks nationwide are starting to build playgrounds for kids to interact as well as parents while they're at the field. It creates a bond that can't be lost, and we can't wait to show the people we love about what the sport has to offer.
4. We don't necessarily want to date a baseball player.
There is a fine line between a woman who is into baseball, and a girl who just likes the team for the wrong reasons. Sure, it would be awesome to date someone who played because that's an awesome and strong common interest. But, real fans know that athletes do not have the best reputation for being the great boyfriends. That's not to say all baseball players should be looked over and scoffed at, because look how much Dustin Pedroia loves his wife! Just know that we're there for more than seeing guys in tight pants.
5. There's a good chance we like other sports.
Now, this isn't to say that baseball ties with anything because it's obviously the best. But, if we really like one athletic event, chances are we like others too. We may not know as much about it, but if you're going to be a true fan of one sport, you usually know a good amount about a few others because certain strategies and ideas run together.
6. We dig the Little League World Series.
There's nothing cooler than watching 11 and 12-year-olds still playing primarily for their team and the game before money and arrogance possibly ruin that. Baseball is baseball, no matter how young or old the team on the field might be. Watching a kid throw at 80 something while they're in middle school helps us know who will be coming up in the future for college and MLB while we still get to see the innocence at hand.
7. We own our favorite team's official merchandise, not Victoria Secret's knock offs.
Victoria Secret definitely has some cute stuff for women that are fans of Major League baseball, but half the time it's to show off your body rather than the team you're rooting for. If you have to wonder if your woman wants the men's authentic looking jersey or the VS knockoff, we'll gladly wear a shirt that's a little bigger to the game than wanting to look cute.
8. We live for October.
This is the one time that ESPN is flooded with playoff information, a plethora of ERAs and batting averages, and there's nothing more beautiful than seeing baseball fill up the top 10 plays of the day when you wake up. It is the one month that baseball fans can binge and nerd out on the game, and there's really nothing you can do to take us away from that.
9. Opening Day is like Christmas.
The three months without baseball are usually the worst. It's cold, you know very little about what's going on with your favorite team, and basketball season returns. So when April hits and every baseball park in America gets their season tickets online and starts managing the outfield grass, you feel like you're back at home.
10. We're the best friends anyone could have.
Baseball is about sacrificing more than you want to most of the time, but you do it anyway because you love your team that much. We know no one likes to get the bunt sign when they're feeling a good swing or when the coach comes to bring in a pitcher when the starter still thought they could save the score. We constantly see players give up their best interest to the team, and it's a reason we stick to this game. The love we see in the selflessness on the field is something dear to us, and we like to show that same respect for others.
Love the girl who loves baseball, because she'll show you life like you've never seen it.
