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Excerpt from Just off the Norm by Norman L. Bender
The Heart of Baseball
A Boston-New York post-season series has fittingly punctuated a century of baseball that has defined and owned us (Sports pages, Oct. 19). The irresistible force (the Red Sox of irresistible heart) met the immovable object (the Yankees of immovable tradition), and tradition won. But the heart should be appreciated, because any fan, including Yankee fans who can't admire and respect Pedro, Nomar, and company, is merely the fan of a uniform and not of the sport he claims to love. And any Red Sox fan who can continue to watch Derek, Mariano, El Duque, and team and not wish them well has missed the call, by more than any umpire.
Originally published: New York Times, October 20, 1999