I know it's a silly thought, but do you ever feel like the act of observation changes the result of what you're observing?
Maybe it's a sports thing. Most every sports fan has some story, about how they thought their unrelated behavior, sometimes hundreds or even thousands of miles away, changed the course of a sporting event. Every October, someone out there isn't changing their undershirt or their socks because those socks are "good luck." We don't mention no-hitters in progress because of the possibility we'll jinx it. During Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, my brother sat on his terrace from Hideki Matsui's double until Aaron F. Boone's home run because he stepped out into the cold (wearing only a t-shirt, if I recall correctly) and the Yanks chose that moment to rally against Pedro Martinez, Grady Little chose that moment to lose his damned mind.
I'm just saying this because I picked up the newspaper today, and got water poured on two of the prospects that got me most excited. Remember the other day when I mentioned my excitement about Barry Bonds playing in the World Baseball Classic? Well, that ain't going to happen. Barry's out, worried about getting injured. Remember the idea I discussed with Brother Joe about the Yanks picking up Piazza? That one sounds like a loser, also (at least according to Bill Madden).
It's kind of jarring to see Mike Piazza as the kind of guy whose agent is publicly making calls to publicly indifferent teams. Unlike some of the former superstars getting persona non grata treatment this winter--such as Jeff Bagwell and Frank Thomas--Piazza isn't really damaged goods. It's extremely likely that he can still be a useful part of a team, particularly one where he could DH occasionally.
It could be that the Yanks' indifference is just the new house negotiation style, courtesy of the new, improved, Brian Cashman. After all, Mike Piazza isn't a bargain if he costs seven or eight million dollars a season. But on a day like this, I can't help but have the silly thought that I should have kept my mouth shut.
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Maybe it's a sports thing. Most every sports fan has some story, about how they thought their unrelated behavior, sometimes hundreds or even thousands of miles away, changed the course of a sporting event.
I was living in Boston in 2004; every Sox fan I spoke with (and they were unavoidable) was definitely personally responsible for the Sox win. My favorite was the guy who'd been stretching during something or other in Game 4 of the ALCS and decided he had to spend the rest of the game (and series, and WS) with his arms totally asleep above his head in order for the Sox to win.
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