Two Fridays ago, I had a chance to spend a rainy Friday night at the Western Massachusetts Republicans’ annual picnic in West Springfield. Fortunately, the event was held under a canopy, the food was protected, and the chit-chat about local, state and national politics was, ah, animated(!).

A pretty good sized crowd had a chance to hear from a number of public officials – like State Senator Mike Knapik, State Representative Todd Smola, and State Representative Don Humason – along with a number of candidates for various local, state and Congressional offices – including me.

When it was my turn to speak, I talked mostly about the state budget, taxes, the rainy day fund (seemed kind of appropriate given the weather), education, jobs and the economy. But during the one-on-one conversations that took place between the audience and me after my talk, the primary topic was Red Sox Nation.

You see, I’m more than a little concerned about the state’s inability to create jobs and offer up a compelling – and affordable – future for many of our families and our kids. Over the past few years, our population has been slowly declining – and aging – and many of our young people – the heart of our future – have been leaving. The data on this one is pretty compelling – and I always include it in my commentary about our past, present and future prospects.

This brings me to Red Sox Nation. I’ve been a Red Sox fan since I was about 10 – turned on to the team by my beloved grandfather during that magical summer of 1967, when anything was possible. In fact, when the Sox beat the Yankees in the ALCS in 2004, I stepped to my bedroom window, looked up into the night sky, and told my grandfather – who never saw the Sox win a World Series – that I thought this was going to be the year. And it was!

For the past few years, I’ve listened to the TV and radio announcers marvel about the breadth and depth of Red Sox Nation. The Sox have fans everywhere – sometimes as many or more as the home team – when the Old Towne Team is on the road.

This phenomenon does not excite me. It depresses me. Because I don’t think those fans are roadies who travel from game to game to game (like Grateful Dead and Phish fans). I also don’t think they’re natives of Tampa Bay, Baltimore or Dallas, either. I think these people are former residents of the Bay State – or the children of current residents of the Bay State – who left town to find a better life – at a better price – somewhere else, but retained their allegiance to the team they grew up with.

In West Springfield, this observation – as it has at almost every talk I’ve given so far during this brief campaign – dominates the follow-up discussion. Young people come up to me and tell me that they would like to stay in Massachusetts, but the job and living opportunities elsewhere are better. Parents come up to me and tell me that their kids are grown and all live outside the state. And almost everyone has seen those Sox fans cheering in other ballparks around the country.

So today I pronounce that if I’m fortunate enough to be elected Governor of the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts, one of my objectives will be to grow the ranks of Phillies, Rays, Cubs and Rangers fans who show up at Sox games at Fenway Park, Let those guys cheer the arrival of their fan base in our neighborhoods!

Play Ball!