Tasting Great Wine Is More Fun!!

Posted by Tom Wark on Nov 2, 2010

Making the move from living in a Baseball-Fan-Martyrdom to the pinnacle of Baseball-Fan-Rewards is not an easy transition. It feels very much like when I went from lowly-Wine-PR-Guy-Who-Drinks-What-He-Can-Afford to working for a wine auction house where I realized I was actually the Lucky-Guy-Who-Tastes-Great-Wines-I'd-Only-Read-About-Before-and-Who-Tastes-Them-Regulatory-Now. It's disorienting and necessitates a re-adjustment in one's attitude.

The appeal of martyrdom ("I've waited all my life for my Giants to win the World Series, and they keep letting me down, but one day…") is derived from the character-building qualities it is supposed to publicly bestow upon those so martyred. There's that "wow, you've got courage–don't worry, keep rooting for them and they'll come through for you eventually" response that usually comes with a knowing nod when the martyr reveals his struggle to the not-so-martyred.

But I'm here to tell you: despite the re-adjustment period, it's MUCH better to put the fan martyrdom behind and embrace the reality of finally sitting on the peak of baseball fandom. It's better in the same way that trying to get intrigued and fascinated by newest vintage of a domestic Zinfandel port is totally eclipsed by sitting down with a 1963 Warres.