Donna, it’s understandable that you, as a female, would have the perspective that emphasizes your relationship with a father that brainwashed you into supporting the Reds, especially in 1975:

Of course, my positive memories of that period were mostly limited to this event:

So as you can see, the fondness of the memories depend on who you are and your rooting interest. I’m glad my disappointment was turned to joy last year.

As for Gowdy and Kubek, I remember that my father would complain that Gowdy repeated the same stories about ballplayers over and over again. Of course I didn’t care, but I do remember hearing the fabricated “how Catfish Hunter got his name” story many times.

But the task at hand is, how to get Hood up to speed on baseball? I still don’t know what we’re up against. Was he beaned as a child and swore off the sport at a young age? Was he just a passive observer and only now has decided that he must become interested for some reason? Do we have any negative memories we must erase, or just implant positive ones?

I avoided the emotional aspect of the game, Donna, because we are dealing with someone who is getting acquainted with the game. It was natural for me to make the cerebral appeal. Having said that, John, I give you one piece of advice:

Avoid becoming a Cubs fan.