baseball.

Oh how my heart likes baseball.

I was thinking the other day about how I came to love baseball, and its actually kind of a funny story. See, I grew up with a house full of guys. With 3 brothers and my Dad, you would think someone would be into sports. Apparently not.

So, I was in 8th grade and I was really sick. Like for...a long time. Every day, I would come home and get into bed. I was going to bed at 9, getting up at 6, and I could sleep all afternoon. My body hated me.

So everyday, I would come home, get into bed, and turn on KOMO 1000 to listen to some good talk radio before I passed out. I would turn it up ridiculously loud and somehow it worked as white noise and I would sleep so well. My stomach would feel better, and I would be able to eat dinner, do homework, and then go right back to sleep.

Well, shortly after I started this tradition, KOMO stopped broadcasting and became the home of the Seattle Mariners. I was upset. How was I going to sleep now?

I started turning off the radio as soon as it would switch to the Mariners and just sleeping without it. But after a while I just left it on. And that's when it started. I started not sleeping so that I could listen.

I was intrigued. It was so exciting! I researched the players, the teams, starting reading about the M's in the newspaper, and went to my first game.

Instant chemistry between me and the Seattle Mariners. I was hooked. Obsessed. I got stat books, read every article in the paper, listened to all of the games, and got my first Mariners shirt.

Fast forward to the year 2009. I have 9 Mariners shirts...one for every day of the week, one to sleep in, and one to work out in. Spent my last spring break in Peoria, Arizona at Spring Training. Been to upwards of 40 games. This year, 18 so far. I've seen players come and go. Trades made that I don't like. Trades made that I think are fantastic. Saw King Felix make his opening M's debut. Cried when Bloomquist was traded. Cried when Boone retired. Made good friends with the Wilson family. Yes, Dan Wilson and family. Cheered the day Griffey returned. Been through many a manager. And I love it. All of it.

My name is Katie and I am a Seattle Mariners Fan.