I could regale all of you with the intricacies of why this particular World Series has been so special, the clutch hitting, the stellar pitching, the dazzling defensive plays. But last night provided all the proof I need that 2019’s Fall Classic is an all-timer...my wife watched the game.
To those of you who don’t know, the beautiful and talented Pam Dunnevant doesn’t do sports. I can count on one hand the number of times she has watched any sporting event for more than two minutes at a time. I can tell the way she looks at me when I stomp around the house bitching and moaning about some horrible call or when I scream and fist pump like some lunatic after a home run, that she thinks I’m unwell. But, there I was last night, trying to change the fortunes of my team by watching the game on my MLB app upstairs on my iPad, when I heard my sainted wife let out a scream of her own. Juan Soto had just crushed a 96 mph Justin Verlander fastball into the cheap seats in right field, and before I could even let out a wild welp of my own, my wife could be heard woo-hooing downstairs. For a moment I thought, “Wait, is she ok? Was that a scream of pain...has she fallen??” Then a couple of innings letter I heard her yell, “Oh NO!! Altuve is up!!!” My wife was watching the game...by herself on the television downstairs!
At that point, I must admit, I’m not sure I’ve ever been more attracted to her. Never has my reservoir of affection been so filled to the brim, than when I heard my wife grasp how crucial it was that Jose Altuve was striding to the plate with two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth inning. This would be the equivalent of me suddenly exclaiming, “Oh my gosh, look at the incredible consistency of that hollandaise sauce,” while watching an episode of The Pioneer Woman. So, the 2019 World Series has turned out to be a seminal moment in our 35 year old marriage. Oh, the remarkable, transformative power of October baseball.
To be fair, I must admit that she does occasionally watch sporting events. She likes figure skating....sigh. She also likes the Olympics, but only because that two week long broadcast is 90% heart warming back stories about the athletes and only 10% actually...sports. But, this World Series marks the high water mark of Pam’s engagement with sports...and I am loving it!!
Go Nats.
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