A baseball valentine

Do you love baseball?

Nothing wrong with that, as long as you keep it in perspective.

You can't love the game, or any of its players or teams, as much as you love your family. That just wouldn't be right. You could, however, take your family to a ballgame.

Here's a little test on love for the game that I'm giving myself.

Do you (insert name here) take baseball from this day forward; to have and to hold; in financial sickness and in wealth; through hours of rain delays just to get in a complete game and on Dollar Hot Dog nights; played by millionaires or minimum-salary minor leaguers; in steroids or greenies or in natural health; in day/night doubleheaders and in slick 643 double plays; through interminable pitching changes and in tidy Mark Buehrle complete games; by yourself or with your family or friends; forsaking the Yankees, the Red Sox and fair-weather fans for your own team, win or lose; so help you baseball gods?

I do. But get back to me on that steroids thing.