I doubt this is a surprise to anyone who knows me, but I’m a baseball fan. Or probably more of a baseball nerd. I’ve loved the sport ever since I was little—I have my dad to thank for that—and I managed my high school’s varsity baseball team for two years.

Over the last week or so, I’ve subjected Josh to a few Red Sox games. He’s a sports guy, more of a football guy, but at least understands the basics of baseball. (Although, not even a month into dating in 2021 we went to a Hartford Yard Goats game and he called runs “points”. So I could have ended it there.) However, he has asked me an assortment of questions, some valid, others I had to really think about a response to:

The technicalities of base running after a sac fly is caught in the outfield.

The term “bases-clearing double”.

Josh: If he [the baserunner] gets hit with the ball [like sliding into second], are they out?
Me: No, this isn’t kickball.

What a dropped third strike is and how the batter can run to first.

What the break of a pitch over the plate means.

What does ERA stand for?

Josh: .115 average is bad?
Me: Yes but I don’t know if he’s an everyday player.
Josh: What does that mean?
Me: He might not play every day depending on if the starting pitcher is a righty or lefty or he might be platooning with another player.

How a pitcher didn’t cover first after the first baseman went off the base to get a grounder

Trying to explain that Bobby Dalbec should have been closer to first base if the batter is a lefty because he’ll pull the ball, and the ball ended up going toward first and Dalbec missed it because it was too far toward second.

Finding out Deion Sanders played football and baseball. I knew Bo Jackson was a two-sport athlete, but we were both surprised that Coach Prime did it, too.

*Garrett Cooper gets hit by a pitch in the wrist*
Lou Merloni: There’s a lot of stuff in there. Hand, wrist…
Josh: Who is this guy?!

Parts of baseball, its rules, and the game are second nature to me, so Josh is good at keeping me on my toes. I like sharing my love of baseball with him and don’t mind explaining things to him. I’m just hoping a question doesn’t turn into the argument we had over the football season about how I thought a touchback was only during a kick-off when the ball goes out of the end zone—apparently that can happen in other cases and happens more than I thought?!