Published: October 11, 2007

Nothing says October like the start of the Major League Baseball playoffs. This postseason is expected to be every bit as thrilling and unpredictable as last year’s. Baseball fans across the country are already gathering around their television sets, organizing viewing parties with their friends, or going out to bars to root for their favorite teams.

Fans at Fordham were asked how they throw their own playoff parties, what types of food they serve and where they gather to cheer on hometown favorites the Yankees and Mets, and even the locally despised Boston Red Sox.

For Joseph Lynn, FCLC ’09, watching a ballgame is a bonding experience.

“The only way to watch a playoff game is to watch it with fellow fans who will feel the same emotions as you,” Lynn said. “If your team wins, you want to be able to celebrate with someone who is actually celebrating; the same thing [goes for] a loss.”

Jennifer Vasquez, FCLC ’09, prefers to keep things a little more lighthearted; at her parties, the emphasis is placed on enjoying oneself.

“I think a good party is just about a nice big-screen TV and plenty of fans,” Vasquez said. “[There should be] Yankees fans definitely, but some haters always make it fun too. And a decent sound system for the dancing after the team wins.”

In keeping with the laid-back parties she likes to throw, Vasquez also keeps her food specifications simple, “Something light, like chips, soda and beer.”

David Wright, FCLC ’09, not to be confused with the Mets third baseman of the same name, who will also be watching this year’s playoffs from home, added, “Tostitos are always great for the record.”

Let’s hope Wright plans on celebrating with Vasquez, because Roger Quiles, FCLC ’09,  begs to differ. “This is not the Super Bowl, so Tositios are expressly forbidden,” Quiles said. “Nathan’s hot dogs are suitable [however].”

For Dave de la Fuente, FCLC ’10, ordering take-out is the way to go.

“My big thing is chicken wings, so I’d order a ton of buffalo wings from Pluck U,” de la Fuente said.

Alan Capinpin, FCLC ’10, however, finds an emphasis on food ahead of the game unnecessary.

“When the Yankees are playing, I’d be focused on them, not the burning inferno coming from the pot of chili on my stove,” Capinpin said.

Chris Cunha, FCLC ’08, one of the few in the Red Sox-favoring minority, compensates for not being with his fellow New Englanders by visiting a local bar in the city that is a safe-haven for Sox fans.

“One of the main barkeeps at McCoy’s, down Ninth Ave., is an avid Red Sox fan,” Cunha said. “As a result, [the bar] tends to be a quasi-friendly place for fans of the red persuasion.”

On the other side of the island, the bars and hangouts will be quiet in Queens, as the Mets were eliminated from postseaon play on the last day of the regular season. What are fans to do now?

“This means I can actually study for midterms, as I have no more baseball that I absolutely have to watch,” Quiles said. “Naturally, I now have to root for the Red Sox [though].”