A Letter to Red Sox Nation

Dear Red Sox Nation:

Good to see you again. Looking pretty good - you been working out this past winter? Well it's hard to believe a new season is upon us. Looking forward to some good times ahead. Some no-hitters, a couple of grand slams, Gold Glove-style defense, and some rookie of the year caliber play from the young ones. You know, the usual.

Anyhow, the reason I'm writing has to do with our dress code. Sure, I'm no fashion guru by any means, but this is something I've been thinking about for a long time. It's a simple rule that President RemDawg should put to a vote: Don't overdo your Red Sox wardrobe on days when you aren't attending a game. More specifically, unless you are going to see the Sox play live and in-the-flesh, limit your Sox apparel to one item for daily use.

I can't tell you how many times I see some random guy just walking down the street somewhere on the East Coast all decked out in a cap, jacket, t-shirt, socks (and underwear, I imagine) on a day when the team is playing a 10:05 game in Seattle or Oakland.

Unnecessary. And more importantly, it takes away from the importance of suiting up for the real thing when you miraculously get a ticket to actually see the team play live. In other words, if we wore tuxedos all the time, it's not a big deal wearing one when you get married. But if you've got tickets - go to town with the Sox gear. Facepaint, too. And the underwear.

I will offer two exceptions, however. Going out to the bar to watch an important game - against the Yankees, the Blue Jays (maybe this year they will be contenders?), the playoffs, or the World Series, - can warrant a cap and t-shirt. But wearing 20 pieces of Sox stuff to watch a game against the Royals at your local bar in May - a bit too much.

Second, tattoos don't count as apparel. So if you've got Sox ink, you can still go for an additional piece of flair anytime. (Plus, if you have a Sox tattoo you could probably beat me up so I won't argue with you).

That's about it, really. To quote Manny, "When you look good, you play good." But walking around town like you stepped out of the MLB catalogue doesn't necessarily count as looking good.

Sincerely,

Me