Have You Had Your Laugh With a Cubs Player Today?

Baseball is a game. That’s it. It’s a game where 18 people play against each other to see who can score the most runs at the end of 9 innings. Simple, right? It isn’t until you factor in the sheer number of people who like that game that it becomes a sport loved in most major countries.

Now a separate entity has been created; Organized baseball is followed by millions upon millions of people; Players are placed upon pedestals or thrown aside like damaged toys. The game is no longer life-sized.So just how is this familiarity restored? Welcome to the 21^st century: where the Internet reigns supreme! Thanks to the wonderful networking provided via Twitter, players are able to interact with their fans as the normal, every-day guys that they are – y’know, underneath all the talent and stuff.

Monday night as I hang out on Twitter reading my timeline I spot Matt Garza (@GDeuceswild) tweet that he has finally been able to start throwing a baseball around. Jokingly, I tweet the following in reference to an errant and downright comical throw said pitcher sailed over the head of the first baseman and into the seats:

To my surprise, Matt found my tweet and responded just how any warm-blooded male would.

I was embarrassed. Not only am I a huge fan of Matt Garza on the mound, but I also love his personality and jovial antics on the field. How’d I go and piss the guy off? I frantically apologized. The tweets from my (and Garza’s) followers were coming at an incalculable rate.

I was clearly embarrassed. I had no right to joke about Garza that way. At this point all I wanted was for the guy not to block me – let alone an apology. Mr. Garza went and did the unthinkable and actually followed me, a 19-year-old fan, and shrugged the whole thing off. The laughs came shortly after and the joy was palpable.

That little episode has not been the first – and I sure hope it wasn’t the last – of Garza’s adventures on Twitter. I cannot stress how much you need to be on Twitter, joining the marvelous community of Cubs fans and players in humor. You really are missing out on making this amplified sport a relatable game.