It’s Pretty Lonely Being A Chicago White Sox Fan in Kalamazoo

As I type this, the baseball playoffs are starting in minutes and the White Sox are playing the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the ALDS. If you haven't lived anywhere but here, you may have trouble understanding this, because if you're from Michigan, everybody here is pretty much all in. U of M fans don't really hate MSU fans. It's more like a big brother, little brother relationship, and besides, we all hate Ohio State. When the Red Wings win, or the Pistons, pretty much everybody is cheering. If, and I know it feels like I'm talking fiction and fairy tales, but if the Lions ever win, it'll be like the Cubs, and the whole darned country will be pulling for them.

But back to my original point. It's lonely being a White Sox fan outside of the South Side of Chicago. Even in Chicago, the White Sox are the "other" team in town. Yes, they have a loyal following, but for the most part, it is very localized, except for a few of us. There's a lot of reasons for this, but I won't bore you with those. Plus it's hard to tell who the real Sox fans are and who are just simply wearing a cap or jersey because it's fashionable. There are some transplants like me here, but it's not like "da Bears". Pretty much any bar in town that shows football on TV's, has a section of Bears fans. (Yes, Lions fans are low-profile for the most part, unless some guy has had two too many beers.)

Baseball's demographics are like me, so they've got me. And because my son loved baseball as a kid, they've got him, but they've got a lot of work to do to get more young fans following the sport again. My son and I bonded over the 2005 White Sox. Something very American and classic about a dad and son sharing a World Series championship. (And I love telling this story, but David was 10 when the Sox won the World Series, and I remember him telling me, "when I have a son, Dad, I'm going to name him Tadahito" (after Sox second baseman Tadahito Iguchi). Check with me in a few years.)

But I guess I'm not really alone. My colleague and Rocker afternoon guy Eric Meier is a Sox fan. "Let's Go You White Sox!"

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