Purpose: To tell the story of how much baseball is a part of the person that I am.

Organizational Pattern: Chronological

• Opening: Ernie Harwell, a famous member of the Detroit Tigers organization once said, “Baseball? It’s just a game – as simple as a ball and a bat. Yet, as complex as the American spirit it symbolizes. It’s a sport, business – and sometimes a religion.”
  • My “sports” religion
    • Christian
  • More than a fan
    • Obsessed
    • Superstitious
    • Know more than should
      • Ramble off facts
      • Runs in my blood
        • Mom & grandma are fans
          • Don’t talk about girl stuff
        • Father to son
• My love for baseball began when I was just a child.
  • Picture in my car seat
    • Proof fan at a young age
  • Tiger Stadium
    • So sad it’s gone
    • Chocolate malts and running
  • 6 years old
    • Keeping score
    • Marking triples, double plays and errors
    • Still do it today
  • Skipping School
    • Opening Day games were the best
    • Stopped in 5^th grade
    • Haven’t been since
• I could have died happy when I met Curtis Granderson for the first time.
  • 16^th birthday
    • Jersey
    • Made signs
      • “It’s my 16^th birthday and all I want to do is spend it with Curtis Granderson and the Tigers.”
    • Tried to get his attention…FAIL
  • National Anthem
    • Disappointed
    • No one signs after the National Anthem
  • Magglio sees the signs
    • Points them out to Curtis
    • Saw him reading them
  • Curtis running over
    • Awestruck
    • Tongue tied
      • Mine
  • Ask to sign jersey
  • Wished me a happy birthday
  • Ran to start game
  • Mom saw everything
  • Screaming and jumping at the top of the stairs
  • Tigers traded him
    • Mom hung jersey with a sign
• As of recently, I have never been more proud to be a Tiger fan.
  • Always go to one game or more/year
  • Who’s Your Tiger
    • Brennan Boesch
      • Out for the season
      • Stupid thumb injury
    • Cheer for any Tiger
      • Except Ryan Raburn
      • Cheering for Alex Avila
  • Clinching the AL Central
    • Winning streaks
      • 10 game winning streak in 1984
      • 11 game winning streak in 1968
      • 12 game winning streak in 1934
      • Went to WS in all these years
      • Good shot for this year
    • Never won the AL Central
      • Last won the division in 1984
      • AL East
• Closing:
  • Possible job
    • Writing
    • Jason Beck’s job
      • Writing on the Tiger’s website
  • Fan forever
    • Career players: Brandon Inge and Bobby Higginson
    • 119 loses to World Series in 3 years
  • For some baseball is just a sport. For me, baseball is a love.