Being a baseball fan is not as easy as you might think. You have to understand the basics of the game and have an inordinate amount of patience. I don't think it is necessary to know the dynamics of a suicide squeeze or how to calculate a pitcher's earned run average. I do, however, think it is necessary to have a favorite team.

My team is the Los Angeles Dodgers. I make sure to mention the Los Angeles part because I wasn't even a glimmer in my father's eye when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn. My father and grandfather are both Dodger fans, so I guess it was fate - or genetics - that I'd be one, too.

If you don't have a favorite team, here are some things to think about before you choose one.

First, where are you from? If you hail from Minnesota, there is a good chance the Twins should be your team. The same goes for most states that have only one team. It gets trickier when you live in a state like California that has five teams. You should probably try to break it up into regions, and then choose your team by another coinciding factor. These factors also apply to those people who come from places that have no baseball team at all (God forbid).

Second, the best non-geographical factors for choosing a team are colors and logo. This will make some die-hard baseball fans cringe, but, seriously, if you have the choice why not choose a team that has a nice navy and teal motif like Seattle, versus the hideous green and yellow of the Athletics. If I were to choose a team by its logo and colors it would be the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who begin play in 1998. They chose a cool mascot and a color scheme that includes black, blue, green and yellow. If I was from New Orleans, I would definitely be a Devil Rays fan.

The last thing to look for when trying to find a favorite team is the players. This may seem silly because it's the players that make up the team, right? I wish. Unfortunately, the time when teams kept the same roster for years are long gone. In this day and age, players come and go like fashions. I'm not saying the players aren't important. In fact, I would recommend choosing a favorite player, but his team does not have to be your team. For example, my favorite player is Ken Griffey Jr., but my favorite team remains the Dodgers. Now we face the dilemma of all dilemmas: When is it time to change your favorite team? I am facing this one myself, because the expansion Diamondbacks will begin play in 1998 and technically they should be my team. As sure as Babe Ruth was the best power hitter to ever play the game, I cannot root for the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks, who will both play in the National League West.

I faced this dilemma a few years ago when I had to say good-bye to my beloved Lakers and hello to the Suns. I just hope it is possible to get a blood transfusion from Dodger Blue to Diamondback Purple.

As the baseball season winds down, it is important to support our national pastime in these years of the hugely popular NBA and NFL. I say find a team in the off-season. Then grab a seat in front of the TV and root like hell, because if you root hard enough, it just might win.

Sam Spiller is a junior philosophy major. He covers women's volleyball for the Wildcat.

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