"Confessions of a She-Fan" - Jane Heller Q&A

Chances are, if you're better half (meaning your lady...) likes to read, she's gotten a few chuckles from Jane Heller.  Heller is the fingers behind the Yankee blog Confessions of a She-Fan, as well as numerous Yankees articles at New York Times and thirteen novels of the romantic comedy variety.

On February 3rd, Heller released that other Yankee book, the aptly titled Confessions of a She-Fan: The Course of True Love with the New York Yankees. (excerpts here)  In it, Heller takes the reader on a journey through the Yankees 2007 season as she decides to follow the team around the country.

Heller was kind enough to swap a few emails and fill me in on the book and what it's like to live, eat, and breathe Yankee baseball on the road:The Bronx View:Ok, you're a woman (obviously) and you're a Yankee fan.  The first question most guys would ask is, do you own a jersey that doesn't have Derek Jeter on the back?Jane Heller: LOL. Every guy assumes female fans all have a crush on Jeter. The truth is I don’t own a Jeter jersey – not that I don’t love the captain. But my favorite player is Mo, so I wear my Rivera jersey with pride.

TBV:Most guys are impressed when a woman knows a few players on a team.  Your level of fandom would put most people to shame.  How did this Yankee love start?

Jane Heller: I’ve been a Yankee fan since I was six years old. My father had just died and my two grandfathers would come over to our house on Sundays. The first thing they’d do (after lighting up their cigars) was turn on the TV to watch the Yankees. I didn’t have a clue about baseball, but they sat me down with a pad and pencil and taught me how to keep score. Mickey Mantle would hit a home run and everybody would cheer, and life was good. From an early age I realized that the Yankees made me happy. They still do – except when they lose. TBV:You've made reference on your site to some friends not understanding your obsession.  Have the Yankees ever been the cause of a rift between you and a friend?Jane Heller:Have the Yankees ever caused a rift between me and a friend? I’ve had “tricky” moments with a friend who’s a Mets fan. He said Yankee fans whine even if they’re ahead by 12 runs. He’s not wrong (at least about me, because I’m happiest if we win in blowouts), but I resented the implication! I’ve also had tense times with my Red Sox friends. I try to tread lightly there, but if one of them starts trashing my players, I let them have it. TBV:In the book, you follow the Yankees around the country for three months and yet you don't like to fly.  Was it difficult to maintain your enthusiasm on such a long trip?Jane Heller:I started the trip being afraid to fly and missing the plasma TV in my living room. As the trip went on and I got into the routine of arriving in a new city, checking into a hotel, watching games, checking out of a hotel, and flying into yet another city, I couldn’t imagine ever going home. Traveling around the country and watching the Yankees day and night was the best adventure ever. I never wanted it to end. TBV:Did you manage to stay near the team on any of the road games?  Were you able to have any social interaction with the guys?Jane Heller:I stayed at the same hotels as the Yankees about half of the time. I wanted the opportunity to observe the players in non-baseball situations (like A-Rod in the swimming pool at the Vinoy in St. Petersburg). But I couldn’t always swing it, because they had a bigger budget than I did. :) Yes, I did have some social interactions with them. You’ll have to read the book to find out which players. That’s part of the story.

TBV:You've seen most of the American League parks and cities.  Where did you see the most Yankee love and hate outside of New York?

Jane Heller:I saw the most Yankee love at Camden Yards, which is like Yankee Stadium South (sad to say for Orioles fans). So many Yankee fans drive down from the NY area, so I always felt right at home. Plus, that ballpark is a great place to watch baseball. Where did I see the most Yankee hate? You know the answer to that one: Fenway. The “Yankees suck” chant comes as naturally to Red Sox fans as breathing. TBV:There was news recently that another Yankee based book is releasing the same day as yours.  Do you know anything about that?Jane Heller:Gee, you can’t mean Joe Torre’s book? Actually, I’m looking forward to reading it. It’s funny that we have the same publication date. And when you go on Amazon to order mine, it pulls up his – and vice versa – so we’re irrevocably linked. But his is an insider’s look at the Yankees, and mine is from a fan’s perspective. He’s got his view from the dugout, and I’ve got mine from the nosebleed section. The biggest difference is he was in the Yankees’ inner sanctum, and I was forced to infiltrate it by stalking players and beat writers. :) TBV:You've written thirteen novels that are romantic comedies.  You have a sports-based blog, articles in the New York Times, and now, a non-fiction book about the Yankees.  Do you find it difficult to jump between all of these different styles?Jane Heller:After writing 13 novels in as many years, I loved writing nonfiction with the She-Fan book. For the first time, I didn’t have to make anything up. I was my own main character. I didn’t have to create dialogue and plot twists, because it all really happened. Writing the book, the blog and the articles for the New York Times sports section has been a true joy. And none of it feels that different from my romantic comedies. I guess my relationship with the Yankees as a fan is as passionate as that of a romantic relationship. TBV:What is your favorite Yankee moment? Jane Heller: I have tons of favorite Yankee moments. But my favorite Yankee moment in the book happened during the series at Fenway in September ‘07. It was a Sunday night game on ESPN. The Yanks and Sox had split the first two in the series, and the Yanks were fighting their way back into contention in the AL East. It was 4-2 Yankees in the bottom of the ninth when Mo came in to close it out. Everybody was standing – sheer bedlam. He walked Varitek to lead off the inning. Hinske grounded out, moving Varitek to second. Crisp grounded out, sending Varitek to third. With two outs, Lugo doubled home Varitek for 4-3. Fenway was a madhouse and I was flipping out – particularly after Mo hit Ellsbury on the kneecap and walked Pedroia, loading the bases for Ortiz. Mo went to a full count on him. I was dying. Absolutely dying. Ortiz fouled off pitch after pitch. Finally, Oritz popped up to Jeter, who made the catch and pumped his fist. Game over. I’ll never forget that one. My palms are still sweaty.

Jane Heller:None of the players knew anything about my books. TBV:One of the excerpts on your site details the difficulty you had with the media relations department. Were you able to work around that and get some access to the players?Jane Heller: I did have problems with the Yankees – in particular, with Jason Zillo, the media relations director. I asked for a press credential and he wouldn’t give me one. He also informed other teams that the Yankees weren’t cooperating with my book. I felt totally shut out. Only the Rays were helpful. Actually, they were more than helpful. Matt Silverman, the team’s president, gave me complimentary seats to all Yankees-Rays series, and his director of VIP relations helped me with a hotel down there. I can’t say enough good things about that organization. But in the end, Zillo did me a favor. My book wouldn’t have been nearly as funny if I’d been sitting in the press box with the beat writers for every game. Instead, I got to interact with other fans sitting in the upper decks next to me. Was I able to work around the Yankees and get access to the players? I don’t want to spoil the ending of the book, so I’ll just say that yes, I was able to get access. But it wasn’t easy.TBV:Now that you have a bit more of an insider's look at baseball, have any of your thoughts or opinions about the game changed?Jane Heller:I have a new appreciation for how hard it is to win. The travel is a grind. Sure, the Yankees fly on their charter and have all their needs taken care of. But the schedule is grueling, the weather can be horrendous and it’s tough to play day games after night games. Also, it’s interesting how opposing teams get up for playing the Yankees; they all want to crush us. So when people say, “Oh, we should definitely beat the Orioles or the Mariners,” it’s not as simple as it seems on paper. And I have a better understanding of what it means to be a true fan. I met a guy in Kansas City who goes to see the Royals despite suffering from a severe physical disability. The Royals? A team that doesn’t win ballgames? This guy is there, win or lose, because he loves his team. That’s devotion. TBV:What's next for you?Jane Heller: I have a proposal out to publishers for another book, but it’s too early in the process to talk about. In the meantime, I’ll be going to Tampa for spring training. I’m doing a signing at the Barnes & Noble Carrollwood store on March 6 at 1 pm, then I’ll be at Steinbrenner Field for the game against the Tigers that night. If anyone’s planning to be down in Tampa, please stop by and say hi!--Confessions of a She-Fan: The Course of True Love with the New York Yankees is in bookstores February 3rd.  Find it online at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.