The last time I was seriously vested in major league baseball Tony Gwynn was hitting .394 and chasing legends. Ya, that was 1994, almost 30 years ago. I grew up absolutely obsessed with the game, including the California Angels and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Baseball was a huge part of my life. Vin Scully’s voice rang through the background of my childhood. Rod Carew was probably my favorite player of all time. Contact hitting and high averages were my thing. I loved the game. Then 1994 happened, and I saw that MLB was all about money, and I walked away. Done.

I think I went to two MLB games in all those years. I would occasionally watch a game or two here and there. But I was almost completely checked out. When it comes to professional baseball, I’ve been stuck in this time warp from the 1990s. I didn’t even know the Astros switched over to the American League until about two weeks ago! It was my own personal boycott. I refused to give MLB my money.

This year I’ve already been to about 10 games. I live in the South Bay Area, so I’ve been going to Oracle Park and the Oakland Coliseum with my family. I’ve been listening to games on the radio while I’m out in the backyard. Throwing the ball with my kids. It’s been nice. I even bought the MLB subscription and I’ve been watching baseball a lot more lately. So ya I’m giving my money to MLB again—with reservations.