What it’s like to be a Dodgers fan

Tonight, at least.

You know that feeling you get on the last day of a really great vacation? The creeping, constant reminder that you’re going to be back to reality in just a couple of days. The dent in your wallet. The realization that you’re about as far away from your next vacation as you can possibly be. You’ve just had an amazing week, but these are things that occupy your brain.

That’s a bit what it’s like to be a Dodgers fan today. But instead of your vacation being great, you actually had to cut your vacation a few days short because somebody stole all of your money. And this has actually happened to you four times in seven years. And in a couple of those years, you didn’t even get to go on vacation but the people you hated the most actually went on a couple of phenomenal vacations and posted all of their pictures on Instagram and Facebook, and even rubbed it in that you didn’t get to be there. And today, when you were on your way back from your most recent disaster of a trip, you ran into those people you hate at the airport while they were on their way to another one of their amazing adventures.

That’s kind of what it’s like to be a Dodgers fan.

And yeah, maybe that’s a bit irrational. But my love for the Dodgers is a bit irrational, too. That doesn’t make it go away.

But I love baseball. I love it because my wife and I went on our first date to a baseball game. I love it because when Spring Training comes around, it’s a new beginning. I love it because it’s the end of winter. I love it because I love summer. I love being outside with a cold beer and an overpriced hot dog and 50,000 people singing a song together. I love the history and stats and the arguments. I love it all.

But I really love the Dodgers. I love the franchise. The connection the team has to the two cities that I have called home. I love the rivalries. I love Vin Scully’s voice and stories, and occasional mistakes. I love that I route for the same team that Jackie Robinson played for. I love that I get to watch Clayton Kershaw pitch every five days. I love that the Dodgers are one of the few things my brothers and I text about all the time. Same with my best friend. I love it all.

But tonight. Tonight, vacation is over. I’m packing my bag and checking into tomorrow’s flight. It’s back to reality for another six months. Long, cold, snowy reality. Tonight, I hate baseball.