"That's SO Sad"

Years ago, I worked at an investment bank where one of my internal clients was a derivatives trader who was a devote Mormon. He had a passel of kids, never swore (a chiddush for a trader), never drank anything stronger than ginger ale (no alcohol, no caffeine), and conducted himself in a very balibatish manner. I liked and respected him alot.

One day we were talking and, to my astonsihment, I discovered that he was a fanatic follower of the Rolling Stones. He had gone to countless Rolling Stones concerts and would travel for many miles to see them. How random and incongruous.

I am reminded of my Mormon trader colleague because of what's been happening to OOD over the summer. OOD is very frum. She davens three times a day with much more kavanah than I could ever muster. She dresses in a very tznius manner. She is very careful about lashon harah. She can teitch up any peirush on Tanach that's out there. You get the picture. So, it was with a sense of surprise not experienced by me since hearing my Mormon trader friend was a Stones freak that I watched as she became a rabid Yankees fan over the course of the summer. She is not just casually following the Yankees. She is studying the game of baseball. We discuss strategy and sabermetrics. She understands the difference between statistics like average and OBP and the importance of slugging percentages. She understands that sacrifice bunts are almost always stupid.

I can't account for OOD's sudden interest in baseball but I have to admit that I get tremndous hana'ah.

Of course, OOD still has much to learn. The other night, when the Red Sox - Yankees game was delayed because of rain, OOD asked me what happens if the game can't continue. I explained that the results of the game are cancelled and they replay it from the beginning if the game is called before five innings. Apparently feeling bad for the players who had worked so hard to build a lead, she responded: "That's so sad". You have to admit she has a point.

What more could a father ask for: A beautiful, lovely and shtark daughter who can also explain why Bobby Abreu's high on base percentage makes him a perfect fit for the Yankees.