A woman who "doesn't get it" teaches herself to become a rabid Nationals fan over the course of a single season. In this week's issue of the Washington Post Magazine, Sydney Trent tells her story.

Sydney Trent is the deputy editor of the Magazine.

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Sydney Trent: Hi everybody. Thanks so much for your interest in my story. Look forward to chatting it up with you.

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Adams Morgan, Washington DC: Submitting early, because I'm going to opening day - why aren't you?

Sydney Trent: I can't think of anything finer to do on a day like this than go to the ballpark -- and that sentiment predates my interest in the sport! Even when I wasn't paying attention, I loved the atmosphere. I suspect there are lots out there who go for the same reasons I did. Unfortunately, the Mag's Editor, Tom Shroder, is kicking back in Paris cafes right now with his family so I must be here.

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Columbia, Md: I have never been able to explain to my non-baseball team loving friends what it is like to love a team. To get high with the wins and low with the loses. There are just no words to explain it. No words to explain why it is so great to love a baseball team, or to love baseball in general. You explained how you started to get into the team, but I don't think the story really helped to interpret the feelings. I was kind of hoping that your story would expound on the feelings so I could use your words to describe the experience. Yes, I know that is trying to take the easy way out. Guess my friends will just keep guessing about my passion. Hope you continue to go to games, and get excited about the game. Yeah, baseball is back!

Sydney Trent:

The funny thing is --and I think my husband's experience is testimony to this -- I think the baseball experience is very individual, in his case having much to do with the family he grew up in and his relationships with his father and brother. In mine, seeing it through the ye

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Alexandria Va: Enjoyed the article. I know a few women who might benefit from trying the same thing.

Two questions: 1. Is "Tom" the infamous "Tom the Butcher," Weingarten's archenemy (and apparently your boss)? 2. Are those your legs in that picture?

Sydney Trent:

Ha! Yes that would be THE Tom the Butcher -- although he's nicer to me than he is to Gene. And no, those would not be my legs in the picture.

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Welcome to the Club: I became a fan of baseball and especially the Orioles back when I didn't have a working television. Despite everything I had believed up to then, I found myself listening to the games on the radio(!) nearly every night. There are no words for how much I came to despise Peter Angelos when he fired Jon Miller. What do you suppose is the reason for getting rid of anybody who is the very best at what he does?

The best thing about the baseball season is that there is always a game on and something to be interested in when there is nothing worth watching on TV (which is usually the case).

Your suggestion that girls should play baseball is spot-on. I didn't even have the chance to play softball when I was a kid. Somebody with access needs to get ahold of Cal Ripken about doing this.

Sydney Trent:

One of my goals this season is to listent o lots of games on the radio. I had a harder time with that last season because I really needed to SEE the game to follow what was happening. I also have an unfortunate tendency to daydream so it wasn't great for learning the sport, But it's a marvelous thing to be able to be out in the sunshine, gardening or just sipping iced tea, all the while listening to a game on the radio. Regarding the firing of Jon Miller, I can't really comment because I haven't followed the Os to speak of.

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Washington, D.C.: I loved this piece! Like you, I came to enjoy baseball from nothing, starting with the Nationals first season. The big difference with me is that my husband wasn't really a big baseball fan to begin with, so I was surprised when he suggested getting season tickets prior to the inaugural season.

I too enjoy the players' individual stories, and I find baseball players so much more human than the egos/players in the NBA or NFL--especially with the Nats' sad record, there's a lot of humility.

So here's to a hopefully-not-too-painful season!

Sydney Trent:

Thanks for the nice words and here's to that for all of us! I'm actually optimistic about the season, despite all of the naysayers. I think perhaps because my expectations for what could make it interesting aren't outsized.

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Crowley, La: Does it matter to you as a fan that The Washington Nationals seemed destined to take up the slogan of the former MLB team from our nation's capital and remain "Washington - first in war, first in peace, and last in the American (now National) League"?

Sydney Trent:

Again, I'm feeling optimistic. I think it's way too early to tell what our longterm rep will be....We're really in the building phase and I'm inclined to trust the Lerners/Kasten to be thoughtful about how to proceed for longterm success... Gee, sometimes I can't believe how I sound!

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McLean, Va: Sydney: Simply a great story. I appreciate your skill in writing it and your willingness to try to become a fan. Many years, I started dating the woman who became my wife. I'm a huge sports fan and she isn't. I took her to a game and as we sat in the stands, I diligently and enthusiastically tried to explain the intricacies of the game that make it so great. After a few minutes of this, she looked at me and said, "Can I just eat my hot dog?" We're still married and she's still content to eat her hot dog while I blather away with our two boys.

Sydney Trent:

Thanks...I did find that being open to a new experience, even after so many years of being completely closed to it, was half of the battle. There was a larger lesson there for me, I think, and I find myself thinking about all of the other things I;d love to try.

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San Diego, Calif: I learned about baseball by watching my brothers play pre-Title IX. My mother, sister, and I watched from the stands; my father was frequently deployed, but came when he could. Baseball still comprsies quality conversation in my weekly phone calls to my mother, who idolizes David Wright of the Mets, and has the Tidewater minor league schedule on her refrigerator door. And I hold first-row season tickets to the Padres, and keep score (by the way, thats the best method to learn the game). Baseball IS tradition, the back-story, the intricacies - its the best game in town!

Sydney Trent:

I wish I'd also grown up with a sports tradition. Like so many things, I don't there's really any replacement for certain things experienced in one's childhood....

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Richmond Va: It took you a year to write this?! You are talking about last years team. As a male Phillies fan, I am reaching for a magazine, just not the one you are in.

Sydney Trent:

This is funny to me, because, yes, it actually did. With the move my fall was hell and remember that I was doing this on top of my regular job and life, much like you'd have to if you tried to become a fan out of the blue. And then the writing is another thing --agony! I loved the whole experience though and hope it was still useful and entertaining to people and the start of a new season.

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Why Love Baseball - Why NOT?: one of my favorite essays ever on baseball:

Why Baseball is the Sexiest Game -

this is a smart essay not a simplistic oggling of men in tight pants

http://www.efqreview.com/NewFiles/v18n2/myturnatbat.html

Best line: "Football is about as seductive as a stag party. Football, in fact, is a stag party-a group of macho guys behaving like louts, destroying property, trying to do maximum damage to and impress the hell out of one another, and then bringing on the dancing girls when they want to take a rest.

Baseball on the other hand, is for adults."

Second Best: "Football is a game, basketball is a sport, baseball is a state of mind."

Sydney Trent:

I'm inclined to believe these broadly drawn comparisons between baseball and football, because I can't see the appeal of football at all. Well, almost at all....But perhaps if I delved into it, I could change my own mind?

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White Salmon, Washington: What part of the experience of being a new baseball fan is most fun/exciting for you? For me, when I first fell in love with our Seattle Mariners the summer of 2001 (116 victories !!!), it was simply that feeling of being committed no matter what the fortune of the team was.

Sydney Trent:

The most exciting part is just all there is still learn -- a tremendous amount, and contemplating all the possibilities of the season. Who besides Zimmerman will emerge as the Next Big Thing?

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Washington, DC: Hi Sydney,

I have to admit that the timing of your article couldn't have been better. I had been planning to launch my own website/blog, HerSportsPOV, to coincide with Opening Day, and your article provided the perfect opportunity for a column that would express views from the opposite perspective. I wrote a rebuttal of sorts, so if you'd like to take a look, you can view it at www.hersportspov.blogspot.com.

I may not have agreed with a lot of what you said, but I really do admire your taking on the challenge of becoming a baseball fan... and a Nats fan to boot! I hope you're planning to visit RFK a few more times this season.

Unfortunately I'll miss your discussion this afternoon because I'll be at Opening Day, but I look forward to reading the transcript later.

Kind regards --

Sumner Menchero

Sydney Trent:

Thanks, and I'll have to check out your rebuttal...My husband have tickets to eight games and may take in a few more

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Arlington, Va: I'm a 33-year-old woman who has loved baseball for as long as I can remember. I'm a Red Sox fan, but love baseball (except the Yankees) in all ways, shapes and forms. There is something relaxing about it, but it's almost always intriguing at the same time. I get a little sad at the end of October when the season ends. But today, I'm in red and can't wait for the season to start.

Sydney Trent:

I know what you mean. I love that it's such a long season and you can dive in and out of it depending on what's going on with the team and one's life. I don;t think I'm at the level of fandom though that no matter how busy I get I'll be checking in daily....

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Yankeeland: Taking the Train into NYC the other day, I saw the construction cranes building the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Am I the only person who is upset about the iminent destruction of the holiest shrine in baseball?

Sydney Trent:

I have to believe there are others like you but I;m not a big enough fan to have an opinion on that. One ballpark aint that different from another to me yet. I'll have to ask Bruce what he thinks about that....

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Alexandria, VA: Tom the Butcher -- wearing a rally cap at RFK? Please tell

me there are photos of this? I'm sure Weingarten would pay

millions (okay, maybe only thousands) for this kind of

embarrassing portrait...

Sydney Trent:

Yep, that was Tom. It was very funny to see my boss behave with such boyish hope and enthusiasm..Or maybe that would be mannish?

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Alexandria, Va: Sydney, thanks so much for your story. My partner George is a HUGE Yankees fan. Growing up in Connecticut it was just a ritual, part of his day-to-day existence that I simply never had. I've often been totally mystifyed by his walking around the room, shouting with/at the television, wearing a ballcap during the game, and even him getting sattelite radio so he could tune in to games at night (he used to do that as a child, I guess). Your story has certainly helped to enlighten me. I have, of course, learned NEVER to say "It's just a game" when his team loses.

Sydney Trent:

Yeah I do think it's important to know what you don't know...Certainly going through this experience helped me understand how very deep and, yes, serious, a sports affilliation can be....Perhaps the closest thing would be political party affilitation

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Bayou LaBatre, Alabama: AS i became a fan a few seasons ago who happened to be female, I evolved to like shortstops and second basemen the best.

What position is your favorite to watch and which position do you feel YOU would want to play in a game?

Sydney Trent:

That's a funny question. I think I like rold of pitcher best, the solo appearance on the mound, the one-on-one combast so to speak, and all of the strategy and stamina that goes into pitching a good game. That's what I would be, too. I'd take great pleasure in pitching folks out!!

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Alexandria, VA by way of Jax., FL: Wow! You're article could not have at a better time. I could relate to it in so many ways. My husband is a sports junky but truly loves baseball. He's a Mets fan. A few months ago I decided to adopt the Nats as my team. I thought what a great way to spend time with my husband and learn a little something too. In addition, I too am African-American. I thought it was great that you addressed how few African-American's are playing the game and how few are really interested. I guess I just wanted to say thanks for giving me some inspiration to continue on with my new found appreciation for baseball. By the way, I think my husband thinks a woman whose into baseball is hot too. Bonus! Hope to see you at a few games this season.

Sydney Trent:

Thanks for your comments...I was kind of put off by the relative lack of African Americans in the stands, but then I think about our rich history with this sport and feel there are so many reasons to try to connect. This summer I wantt o read a good biography of Jackie Robibson as well as a few other books on the subject

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Pittsburgh, PA: I grew up in Newark, NJ, just a stones throw from NYC, and I can still clearly recall going to Yankee games on a Saturday afternoon with my parents and brother. I loved the atmosphere at the park (and the hot dogs) more than the game, and I will always have fond memories of those days. When I was in college (at Rutgers), we all sat around in our dorm rooms and watched the Yankees play in the World Series (this was back in the late 70s). Then, I think the allegiance was because most of us were from NJ, so we were fans based on more on geography, rather than the team. Well, since then, I have lived in Florida, Virginia, and here in Pittsburgh, and I still go to baseball games wherever I live, just to get the atmosphere at the ball park. I've never been into the players, their stats, etc. My love of the game is for the place and the atmosphere - being with friends or family on a summer day, eating a hot dog, and just enjoying the scene (Camden Yards and PNC Park are my favorite places to see a game). I did see the Nationals play last summer, while in town for my parent's 50 wedding anniversary party. Let's just say it will be great when they move into their new park - RFK was a dump!

Sydney Trent:

Yes, I guess it's true...I say I don't care about the ballpark but when it's as unappealing a place as RFK I guess I do care. Camden Yards offers a much better baseball watching experience.

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Pittsburgh, Pa: While I like to watch baseball, I'm not a fan of one team or another. However, my brother-in-law is a HUGE Red Sox fan, and has been since he was a child. He has lived in Florida since he was a teen, but still faithfully followed the team. He makes his "annual pilgrimage" to Boston once a year to see a game. He had even said that he knew his wife was "the one" when he suggested that she go with him to a game and not only did she agree, but knew all the players. The night that Boston won the Series, HE got about 10 congratulatory calls from friends and family who knew how overjoyed he would be. And the name of his new dog - Fenway, of course.

Sydney Trent:

He should get togetherw ith our art directior, who is also a huge Red Sox fans. The congratulatory phonecalls remind me of when the Phils were last in the World Series, 80-something I guess. My husband was taking calls like he'd just become a father! I guess when youre a rabid fan, everybody knows it.

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New Richmond, Wisconsin: Have you ever YELLED something at a ballgame ? What was it that you yelled?

What a relief / release to scream "KILL THE UNMPIRE!" after a bad call !

Sydney Trent:

I'm a pretty intense person by nature but don't think I've yelled a phrase at a game yet. Some general yelling in tight moments though.

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Correct terms:: Players fumble a football, they bobble a baseball. I can't believe Gene and Tom missed that!

Sports girl (ok so I'm 50 yrs old but Let's go Mets!)

Sydney Trent:

Well, the beauty of this story is that it's written in my voice and clearly I'm not going to know all the lingo. Somebody did mention that though, but I didnt see the need to change it. Felt too experienced to me.

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Alexandria: Loved your article! Thanks for writing about women fans; it's a perspective the Post needs to include more often.

I never cared that much about baseball when I was growing up in the Mid-West, but moved to Boston in the mid-70's, the days of Yaz. My boyfriend was a big fan so we went to a lot of games and he taught me all the fine points of what to watch for. I've been a devoted Red Sox fan ever since. It teaches eternal hope, as you wrote so poignantly. After the Sox "reversed the curse" after 86 years, I cried. And I've now made my British husband a fan of "this strange American game."

Sydney Trent:

That's wonderful that you felt your team's success so deeply. I'm not there yet. The eternal hope thing is really a baseball cliche but I couldn;t get around it because it's just SO true, or at least was for me....Being a hopeful person, I'm very attracted to that idea too....Wish everything were as hopeful as baseball

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New Orleans, LA: Food question, natch - since I'm from the food capital of the USA.

What's the best thing to eat at a National's home game, in your opinion?

Sydney Trent:

I liked the crabcake. Much better than you'd think, even w/o the tarter sauce. After that, I'll take a big box of Crackerjacks any day

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Sydney Trent:

This was great fun. Thanks so much for joining and enjoy the game!

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