Back in April I decided, after eschewing sports for 24 years, that perhaps it was time to give this "baseball" thing a try. Because I hadn't grown up with a team, I had the unusual luxury of selecting from the 30 major league franchises, and I chose the Giants. I can't really explain why, though I can say orange and black just look snazzy against french vanilla.

People gave me all sorts of reasons not to pick the G-men. Lousy record, they said. Pick a winner, they said. But I stuck to my guns, and their criticism actually made the Giants that much more important to me. I've always believed there's something to be said for the underdog. Plus, hey. Orange and black.

Less than a month after Opening Day, I stumbled across McCovey Chronicles. I was delighted to see fans constantly bantering with an equal dose of reverence and sarcasm. This, I thought, was something cool. Before long, I found myself more heavily emphasizing the Z in "dingerz" and growling "FINISH HIM" whenever a 3-2 count came up. I hated Scott Hairston with a fierce passion and couldn't refer to Russell Martin without cordially inviting him to suck it.

But I never really considered contributing to the discussion. I couldn't hold a candle to Grant's wordplay, BaronVonCurrentEvents' biting dry wit or Natto's outstanding Photoshop skillz. I was content to read and not write.

My first-ever major league game was this past Thursday, July 23. It was the final in the Braves/Giants series, and it ended wonderfully. But rivaling the action on the field was something that caught my eye from the stands: a familiar shock of white hair up in the press box.

"Holy crap," I thought. "That's Kruk and Kuip." I started nudging the Braves fans I'd traveled with that day. "Look, they're RIGHT THERE," I said, baffled by my companions' indifference. "I LOVE those guys!"

It was then I realized, yeah, I might have a touch of McCovenism. So I just wanted to stop in for a moment and tell you how you make a native Alabamian who's never been to the Bay Area feel like a part of the team. Gamers.