Stress

Lots of people get stress. Sometimes it's on the job. Sometimes it's from dealing with your spouse or in-laws. It happens sometimes when you're behind the wheel of a car or riding in an airplane. Your heart races, you feel sick to your stomach, you develop a twitch in your eyelid. You can't sit still or speak coherently.

Although I am anything but a Type A personality, I get highly stressed while watching baseball in late September and October. It's a terrible problem for me. The first time I remember it happening was in 1975. (Yeah, I'm OLD, get over it.) It was Game 6 of the World Series. I was watching the game with my college roommates in Amherst, Massachusetts. Carlton Fisk strode to the plate and hits his fateful home run. I was devastated.

Yes, I was then a Cincinnati Reds fan. I remember running off to bed, a complete sore loser, while everyone else cheered downstairs. The next night, I went to a bar to watch the Reds beat the Red Sox in game 7, allowing me to have the last laugh. If I had known then what I know now, I would gladly have wished a World Series win on the Red Sox.

Next time it happens is 1986. Again, game 6 of the World Series, except now I'm fully committed to the Red Sox. I'm fairly confident that the Sox are going to do it this time. That is, until a certain ball rolls through a certain first baseman's legs. I remember exactly where I was standing near the steps in our living room when this shocker occurred. I also recall not being able to face game 7, and trying to half-listen to it from the bedroom as the Sox went down to defeat.

It's now 2003. Sox are up by several runs in game 6 (what is it with game 6, anyway?) and a certain Red Sox manager won't remove Pedro Martinez from the game as the MFYankees tie the score. No, I wasn't in the living room when the winning run is scored by Aaron *bleeping* Boone in extra innings. I was in bed with a pillow over my head, trying desperately NOT to hear the cheering, right before my husband turned the TV off.

By 2004 I was burnt to a crisp on post-season baseball. I watched the Sox sweep the Angels in the ALDS. I watched the first two games of the ALCS, won by the MFYs. I skipped game 3 after coming in late and seeing the lopsided score. I was pessimistic on the morning after game 4, but woke up to see the heroics on TV. Papi wins the game in extra innings! Although still too nervous to watch game 5, I once again awaken to news of Papi winning the game. It's time for game 6. Had plans with friends that night, and they had the game on but we weren't in the room. We settled for getting scores shouted to us from the basement family room. Schilling was pulling it out! I drove home with the radio on and watched the last several innings...but not without stress, especially when Slappy took a swing at Arroyo. The next night? No problem. I stood in the exact place that I stood in 1986 and jumped up and down as the Sox beat the Yankees in the greatest comeback in the history of sports. By then it was no problem to watch the World Series - every game, every inning, nearly stress-free.

This history is one of the reasons why I so enjoyed the Sox-Yanks games early this season. They were completely fun, especially the night that Manny, Drew, Lowell and Varitek hit consecutive home runs. The MFYs were in free-fall and I could watch the games with utter composure.

Now, tonight is the last game between these two rivals this season. On Friday, I watched one pitch of the game and it happened that Sid the Sloth hit a double. *Click* I was off to a different TV station. I was able to follow along with the bad news of this game on the internet, with the good folks of Surviving Grady. Yesterday, I played jazz all afternoon while the game played and was finally able to turn on the TV about the sixth inning when the Sox were safely ahead.

What to do tonight? And more importantly, how do I get over the stress factor and actually try to enjoy these games? It's fairly certain that the boys will make the post season and short of getting a lobotomy, I want to watch the games. What do you all suggest?