Aaron Boone retires...and reminds me why I love sports
Aaron Boone retired today. For most people, this is a relatively unimportant event. He'll be remembered for a home run hit against the Red Sox, which is probably the highlight of his career. He was a pretty solid player, never the best player on his team, but one of those very solid contributors.
But to me, he's taken on a deeper meaning and reminds me about everything good in sports.
Way back in 2003 in my AL-Only fantasy league, Boone was rumored to be traded from the Reds to the Yankees. In most leagues, it was probably a minor deal, but for us, it was a huge event. In AL-Only leagues, a guy as talented coming into the league can make a big difference, especially Boone who was in the middle of a 20-20 season. In our league, we can sign players only in the AL or in the AL minor league systems. Players from the NL can be aquired if a player on your team is traded for the NL player or if no one has the player the NL guy is being traded for, by using your waiver slot.
A guy in my league did one of the douchiest moves ever, albeit at the time a savvy and legal move. Everyone knew about the trade before it actually happened, so he went out and signed Brandon Claussen, who the Yankees were trading to the Reds, and ensuring that he would get Boone. Meanwhile, my brother had the highest waiver priority and was screwed by this move.
It caused a huge uproar in the league and led to the now imfamous "Aaron Boone Rule" which states that the player needs to be on a roster for two weeks before he can be used to get a player from the NL. Every year the Aaron Boone Rule comes up, and it will as long as we're alive.
This is why I love sports. A seemingly simple move of trading Aaron Boone can take on meaning far deeper than a transaction on paper. Players and teams become a part of our lives, not just guys we root for at the game. I know I think about fourth starters for the Blue Jays in my free time way too often. Sports aren't just for entertainment, it's a lifestyle. It identifies us just as much as the city we live in or the place we work. We follow them on our phones, we own players in our fantasy leagues, we buy their shirts and talk about the teams in terms of 'we.' Plays and games we saw become a part of our own history that we talk about in fond terms. It's apart of us.
While I won't miss seeing Aaron Boone on the field, in some ridiculous way, he changed my life. And that is what is great about sports.
No Comments
Leave a Comment?
What your comment will look like:
said: