In the early-mid 90s, on a clear summer evening in Drexel Hill, Pa., a younger version of myself was feeling like a million bucks. I had hit two RBIs and brought in two runs for my Little League team, which helped us overcome our opponent.

The win was nice, but there was something else on my mind. I was finally in the running for the "game ball." For years I was denied this symbol of personal triumph because ... well, because I stank.

But that day was different. As the team huddled around for our post game talk and the coach said that tonight's game ball would be going to "Richard Coleman," I knew there was hope for me yet.

Unfortunately, I was wrong; at least, when it came to playing sports. Around the time I was being rung out for incorrectly setting a pick for my shooting guard during a middle school CYO basketball game, I was also coming to a realization that would define my relationship with sports forever.

I'm just a casual sports fan. Not only that I'm a casual and regional sports fan, meaning if the two teams playing aren't from Philadelphia, then chances are I don't give a hoot about the outcome.

I bring this up because the Phillies will be playing in the World Series for the second time in a row, and I couldn't be more excited. However, right around this time of year, you can't help but notice a particular group of fans -- "bandwagon" fans.

I've heard criticisms of bandwagon and fair-weather fans all my life: They aren't "true" fans.

I've never been called out for this, but I'll be honest with you: Aside from Brad Lidge's minor cold streak, I don't know much of the Phillies regular season. I couldn't tell you who had the best stats or that Pedro Martinez was pitching for us.

I'm sure this might be making Phillies fans and true baseball fans furious. I can't blame you if it is. To compare, this is how I use to feel in high school with music. If I discovered a band that was reasonably unknown to my peers, I'd get pretty frustrated when the band started to get popular and, consequently, attain more fans who might not have been as dedicated as I was since the beginning.

But I came to realize hobbies don't define the kind of person you are. I spent a good chunk of my high school years and college years acting like an elitist music snob who categorized people by the quality of music and entertainment they enjoyed. Slowly but surely I've started to understand that music is just music -- if the first Radiohead record you ever heard was 2007's In Rainbows, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy 1993's Pablo Honey the same way someone from 1993 heard it.

This is why the whole "die hard vs. fair weather" fan conflict seems peculiar to me. What it comes down to is the issue of authenticity that die-hard fans of any team, band or artist feel to be necessary in order to be a true "fan."

Are the only "true" Bob Dylan fans the ones that heard Blood on the Tracks in 1975? Of course not. Does one need to pay attention to every single game the Phillies played this past season and know countless statistics in order to experience the thrill of knowing their favorite team is entering the World Series? I highly doubt it.

At the end of the day, it's just a game anyway, right? Let's just take comfort in the fact that the team with the most losses in MLB history is going for their second championship in a row.

I certainly won't care if it's the first game you're watching as a Phillies fan.