It was 2-2, bottom of the 9th, Game 7 of the World Series when I became a real sports fan.
Luis Gonzalez, the Diamondbacks’ 57 home run-slugging hero, against the infallible Mariano Rivera, undeniably the greatest closer in the history of the game and protector of the Yankee dynasty. Bases loaded, giant against even larger giant; the pressure felt by both sides.
I was barely 13, but my parents let me stay up late to watch the final innings. Since 1998, when the DBacks came into existence and my newly formed little league team adopted the team name as our own, I identified with Gonzo and Co.