COLUMN The Lone Angel Fan

Author: Bryan Goldberg

For hundreds of students, faculty members and Middlebury employees, Saturday night's playoff game between the New York Yankees and Anaheim Angels was a nightmare come true. After losing the closest World Series in several decades, New York was poised to rebound, finishing the regular season atop the standings, convincing skeptics that Derek Jeter and co. were not nearly over the hill. But it was not to be — the Bronx Bombers suffered one of their most memorable (and also most forgettable) postseason embarrassments, bringing tears to the eyes of so many fans. On the other side of the spectrum, there were also tears, tears of joy, as Middlebury College's one and only Anaheim Angels fan, Gil Kim '05, celebrated a long awaited victory.
"Wow, we Angels fans have waited a long time to achieve post season success," explained an overjoyed Kim, wearing, as usual, his retro Angels cap. "The last time they even came this close was in 1979, the year before I was born." Indeed, unlike so many of our friends from New York, New Jersey and every other state that breeds fair-weather fans, Kim has never known a World Series victory. In fact, he doesn't even know how to spell victory.
Kim, an avid baseball fan, has been Middlebury College's ambassador to the all-too-obscure Angels. "I've only followed them for about two years, and in that time I have attended way more Red Sox games. Hell, I had never even been to California until this year, and even then I was in San Francisco." Indeed, it takes a truly dedicated fan to be able to support his boys from over three thousand miles away. But then again, a thousand oceans could not impede Kim's inexorable support for Anaheim.
When Kim reflects upon his love for Anaheim, his real passion is for those people who count most: the players. "My favorite player is David Eckstein," said Kim as he pointed to an article about the Angel shortstop. "I don't really care that much about the other guys. I guess that Darren Erstad is alright, but I would never pay to see him play."
With his cap on his head and his David Eckstein poster on the wall, Kim will be the one and only person cheering for the Angels this postseason. In fact, he may be the only one watching the postseason, given that many of the big name teams and players were eliminated in the first round.
"If I get around to it I might watch a game, probably while I'm doing other stuff, like eating. Without the exciting teams and the star pitchers, there is really a lot less to enjoy. If the Angels make it to the World Series, and it goes to game seven, then I'll drop by the Grille for a few minutes to watch an inning or two." Kim knows that he will be the only one watching that inning or two, and yet, he is unabashed. For he is a baseball fan unlike any other, a supporter of the team that nobody else wanted to support.