A local World Series

In an surprising twist of Americanisation that I would have never foreseen for myself, Delta has successfully got me watching baseball. After many, many years (I've been told how many, but the details slip my mind like water off a ducks back), the Yankees are in the world series. And Delta, like half of New York, is duly hooked.

With the baseball being broadcast in our living room in truer-than-life-50-inch HD, there's really nothing to do but watch it. And so, without even trying, I've gotten somewhat acquainted with the cast of characters over the past week. The guys who can pretty much usually be counted on to hit the ball. The guys who pretty much always strike out, but then make up by pulling some rather eye-popping catches in the field. And those that fumble, and have me yelling, "I could do that for 20 million dollars too, you nugget!!"

"Why's it called the World Series," I asked Delta pointedly, "when it's really just the US?"
"Well there's Canada too, sometimes," he pointed out laughingly.
But I'm not convinced. Not when the "World Series" is being played out between New York and Philadelphia, I'm just not buying it.
Then on the other hand, teenagers all over the world are obsessed with getting to first base or second base. And once the teenagers adopt you, you've reached world class status. Just look what they did with Facebook and Twitter.

Besides, it has to be the sport with the guy who has the coolest name in the world. Melky Cabrera. Wow, I'd love to hear someone beat that.
"If we were planning to have a son, we'd name him Melky Cabrera," I told Delta.
"Even the last name?"
I tried to separate them out in my mind, but just Melky didn't sound quite as cool as the whole name together. It just has flow to it.
"Yep, the whole thing. The kid's name would have to be MelkyCabrera."

Now no one can argue with that. One of the best things that baseball brought to the world is the name MelkyCabrera.

Of course, maybe I'm not the best person to judge the sport. I still don't know whether it's a referee or an umpire, and I sometimes confuse bowling with pitching.

But at least, all in all, at least I've learnt to root for the guys with the stripes.