WHY CONNECTING WITH PLAYERS IS IMPORTANT: A FAN'S TAKE

I recently wrote MAKE TONY GWYNN ABOUT TONY GWYNN, NOT ABOUT YOU! It was harsh toward certain sports media that came out of the woodwork and showed of their "connection" with Tony Gwynn after Tony's passing.  I found the connections to not be true connections at all.  I found the certain commentators I highlighted to be narcissistic and more about themselves than about Tony Gwynn.

Well, someone took offense to that.  Or, better yet, let's just say he disagreed, because the comment was smart and not angry, just a disagreement with my opinions.  And so, in the spirit of good debate and listening to all sides of the baseball coin here at BYB, here's a different take from my piece about Tony Gwynn. It's about connection, and it's a great comment, and I wanted to share it with my BYB audience.  Welcome Dennis to the conversation. Thanks for this Dennis:

"What I enjoy most about baseball is the connections you make through family, friends and your favorite players. These players you'll likely have never met or will never meet. But they mean a lot to you. So when they die, something in you dies, too. I cry at funerals of loved ones and friends. Someone close once said I was crying for the death of her husband because I was remembering my dad who died just a few years before. She was right. So when Tony Gwynn died, many fans and former teammates experienced a loss, too. It's not a bad thing for them to share those connections, stories and what their connection to him meant to them. It's part of the grieving process. Let the baseball connections continue."

Great comment and there is truth to it. I thank you sir.

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