In a word.... "habit".

Like DC's dad, I was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan from my earliest memories on to when they left Brooklyn. They were the home team. They represented the blue-collar, "everyman" baseball fan. They had the stars I loved ... Duke Snider, Gil Hodges, Roy Campanella, Carl Furillo, Jackie Robinson. When they left Brooklyn (in 1958) they broke my heart and I had a hard time rooting for them after that.

The only team left in New York then was the Yankees, and they were always considered the enemy in my household, so it was not even remotely possible that I would root for them.

The Mets came into existence a few years later and I tried rooting for them... they were God-awful back then. It was at this time that one of my brother's best friends, Rico Petrocelli, was signed by Boston. Not having any real allegiance to another team then and combining the fact that I was about 14 years old and personally knew someone in the majors I became a Red Sox fan.

They had some of the worst teams imaginable back in the mid 60's but then came "The Impossible Dream" team of '67 and the rest is history.

I've suffered the last 40+ years with more heartache than a baseball fan should experience. That heartache was tempered somewhat after '04 but even after watching some great talent leave "my" team in recent years I'd never dream of changing my allegiance.

Like I said... its "habit".