My allegiances are now colored Yankee pinstripes

There has been a cleansing in my life. I am born again.

Oh, wait a second. You must think this has to do with a religious epiphany, like seeing the Blessed Mother at Lourdes. No, it's better than that. It's baseball.

For the past years the thought of cheering for the New York Yankees was, well, way out in left field. I used to be a Yankee fan. As a boy I saw the Yankees play in Detroit and they were different, special, first class. The pin stripes played the game right. They were winners. I enjoyed rooting for them.

Then George Steinbrenner took over and, like so many NY fans, he was an overbearing pain in the duff. Georgie hired and fired, fired and hired, took the fun out of the game by centering attention on himself, a non-player.

Since I also was a Philadelphia Phillies fan in the National League, I drifted that way and let the Yankees and the American circuit spin away. In 1973, when the AL decided to use the designated hitter, I knew the Phillies and the National League was the correct choice.

It has been hard being a Phillies fan. Some 15-20 years ago they won something, but lately the division pennant goes to Atlanta. It was like having a new ball, a new mitt and a new Louisville Slugger, but playing on the other side of the moon.

And then this week happened. Monday, the Yankees traded Alfonso Soriano for Alex Rodriguez, the best all-around player in baseball. He will play third base.

It was an historic move, one that solidified what will be the best left side of the infield ever, figuring in regular Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter.

Rodriguez, the 2003 American League Most Valuable Player, will bat No. 3 in a lineup that's too deadly to root against. That assessment was made when I looked down the lineup card: CF Kenny Lofton, SS Jeter, 3B Rodriguez, 1B Jason Giambi, RF Gary Sheffield, DH Bernie Williams, C Jorge Posada, LF Hideki Matsui and 2B Erique Wilson. And a pitcher.

These are now my guys. Joe Torre is my manager. You may hold in contempt of Steinbrenner and his $2 million pinstriped plaything. Me, not so. I'm tired of rooting for the junior varsity. I want to back a winner sometime before the Tricentennial.

I don't care if the rest of Baseball Nation doesn't think it's fair. I find it easier to hate Yankees archrival, the Boston Red Sox, than root for one more loser. Boston fans are haughty, mouthy and over-opinionated.

Remember M*A*S*H and Dr. Charles Emerson Winchester III. That's what Red Sox fans are - more in love with themselves and their possessions than they are baseball.

No wonder Boston is famous for beans and flatulence.

How do you root for Nomar Garciaparra? My god, he married a soccer player! Or root for Curt Schilling, a neo-Charles Emerson Winchester. Or yell for Manny Ramirez, a quitter. Star pitcher Pedro Martinez was called, "That little punk" two years ago by Schilling himself. Could you really bark your lungs out for some guy named "Trot?"

I know who the Yankees are: hard-working, winning Americans who love kids, mom, baseball, Blamers and apple pie.

If you want to continue rooting for the undercrust of major league baseball, be my guest. Hey, how do you root for the Milwaukee Brewers? What league are they in this year?

How do you root for the home state Colorado Rockies after the Blake Street Bombers have been gutted into vanilla, baseball's most boring team? There are the Rangers, the Mets, the Tigers, the Reds, Padres, the Twins. Can you name me more than two players on any of those teams? Thought not.

Me, I'm tired of backing Lucky Losers. I'm sending to be laundered my Yankee T-shirt, along with my Yankee jersey with the No. 3 and "RUTH" stenciled on the back. I'm buying a NY coffee cup, Yankee PJs, an NY baseball cap.

I'm tired of backing losing baseball teams. It's time for me to hold up the "No. 1" sign and have it mean something. To look forward to the playoffs and World Series with my team involved. It's gonna happen.

Born again.

Thanks A-Rod.

Thanks George.

Chieftain sportswriter Dave Socier may be reached at (719) 544-0006, ext. 451; or by e-mailing [email protected].

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