Yankees baseball: A life routine

There is something to be said about having the perfect routine. If you go on the internet these days, you can find endless advice on the perfect morning or nighttime routine: meditate, write in a journal, or perhaps permanently destroy your cell phone in an attempt to get a good night’s sleep again. To each their own.

Whatever your routine may be, there is a purpose to it. It adds a layer of structure and control to what otherwise may be a crazy and hectic life. Maybe you’re the reader who thrives in chaos, and man, I wish I were more like you. But the reality is I need structure and routine in my life. You’re probably wondering how the Yankees come into play with all of this.

Baseball has always been my normal. Like most of us fans, we grew up playing and watching from a young age. For me, it became the fabric of my spring and summer. My Little League field was built on the lowest point of a few hills, meaning that the best view of the field was from the top of a steep hill in right-center and a set of bleachers in right. Beyond the fence in left field was occupied by towering trees that slightly hung over the fence. When I was young, that hill in right field felt like the grandstand at Yankee Stadium, and the sound of parents cheering would funnel down onto the field, making it amplify.

I’m sure we all get a little nostalgic when thinking about our Little League baseball fields, regardless of their conditions. I now tend to remember those times vividly because of what I didn’t realize they were providing me at the moment: an outlet, structure, and a place to be myself.

As you grow up, your structure and your routine tends to revolve around things that feel more like a necessity and less like fun. Maybe it’s the 9-5 job, or dropping the kids off at daycare. While I always loved the Yankees, writing articles on this website has made me think more about why I enjoy them so much. And maybe it is a part of getting older, but as this season has started up again, I’ve realized that having the Yankees on every night provides me with many of the same things that being on a team once did: a routine, stability, and a place where we can all act ourselves.

For me, life can be crazy, but baseball is not. Baseball is poetic and oftentimes calming for me. There is a rhythm to the game that is different than other sports. While each game is important, the sheer amount of games can make it feel casual on any given night, and I like that. Knowing this doesn’t make me any less of a fan, as I still watch each game with intense interest, but it is okay to have a night where you don’t take it so seriously.

The Yankees are so integrated into my life that turning them on at 7pm on weeknights and 1pm on weekends is standard business practice. Often, my non-sport-watching coworkers think I am crazy when I tell them I watch the Yankees every day, while they go home to binge their favorite Netflix show. But for me, I would not have it any other way. Sports are my equivalent of a cup of coffee, a journal entry, or those crazy ice baths that everyone seems to be jumping into these days. The Yankees are a part of who I am, and I am happy that I can turn them on every night because this sport and this team make my life better.