As a female baseball fan, I walk a very fine line between fan and fangirl. I try very hard not to fall into the latter category too often. I love the game --- the close calls, the rookie debuts, the surprises (a no-no, perfect game or Bengie Molina triple), the heartbreak, the joy, etc. --- but I can't deny the bonus that is the eye candy on the field. I have tried, trust me. But there are just some baseball players that make it impossible for me to forget I'm a woman (who loves baseball).
Here are my five biggest baseball crushes ...
Laynce Nix
He's at the top of the list because he was my very first baseball crush. In 2005, when I was a regular at the Ballpark in Arlington, I was known by the announcers and ushers as "I Need a Nix Fix." It's ok to laugh at me. I laugh at me even now. And I laughed at me then too. It was just a fun ploy to get attention, and my friend ("Dellucci's Darlin'") and I certainly got a lot of attention. We sent baked goods to the broadcast booth and even to the clubhouse, hung our signs and cheered loudly from our favorite seats in left field (behind David Dellucci, most of the time). I received a few e-mails from Laynce during the winter between the 2005 and 2006 seasons. I finally got to meet him in Oklahoma City that June, right before I moved back to Iowa. He spotted me in the stands in Des Moines a month later when I went to a game for my birthday. He was stunned, but he was so happy to see me, he brought me a game ball from the dugout after the game and wished me a "happy birthday." I still have the ball, and, even better, I have lots of memories. Laynce has not been a Ranger for several seasons. He's with the Reds right now (which is why he's pictured in a Reds uni above), although there are rumors he'll be changing uniforms again. No matter where he is, I will always cheer for him.
Chris Davis
I fell for Chris Davis the first time I saw him. I fell deeper the first time I saw him do his infamous "splits" at first base. He has the most perfect mouth ever (when he doesn't have a wad of tobacco in it), and his smile is pretty amazing too. I just really can't say anything bad about Chris. Except for the times he's broken my heart ... in the batter's box and along the first base dugout. Chris has spent plenty of time in AAA , which is how I've gotten closest to him. But he has yet to acknowledge me. I've asked him to stop for an autograph/photo several times over the last few years, but much like most other guys who catch my eye, he ignores me. I know other fans have had better experiences with him, which means he's not a jerk ... he just doesn't want anything to do with me. And I suppose I'll live with that. I don't know how much longer Chris will be in the Rangers organization, but he's another guy I'll always root for a little bit.
Casey Benjamin
I don't have nearly as much to say about Casey as I have said about Laynce and Chris. The reason? I just haven't had as much time to observe him. I enjoyed watching him for two seasons with the Oklahoma City Redhawks (the former AAA affiliate for the Rangers), but I have no idea where he is now. I think he's playing independent league baseball somewhere. So I guess there's still a chance I'll see him again someday, although I think that chance is pretty slim.
Joe Mauer
The only way he could be hotter is if he was wearing a Rangers uniform. A girl can dream, right?
David Wright
His smile is just incredible. It doesn't show in this photo, but it's worth a google search. Trust me.
Don't get me wrong. I love all my Rangers. I just don't swoon over all of them. Which is probably a good thing. I might have trouble focusing on the games if they all got my heart racing.
Alright, ladies, who did I miss?
P.S. Don't ever let me say I don't have a "type." Good grief.
All these guys are adorable and the epitome of "eye candy"...out of the 5 you mentioned, it's David Wright that gets my heart skipping about 8 beats :)
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