The New York Yankees were always on TV when I was a kid, so naturally I became a Yankees fan. I remember watching Don Mattingly, Dave Winfield, Rickey Henderson, Reggie Jackson, Ron Guidry and Willie Randolph, to name a few of my favorite players.

Even though I lived clear across the state in western New York, we got all the games on WPIX with Phil Rizzuto as a staple on the broadcasts. The Scooter, as he was nicknamed, was a Yankees legend himself and had his signature “Holy cow” phrase that he’d shout out whenever there was a big defensive play or a pivotal home run.

I played lots of baseball as a kid, from backyard and pickup games to various local leagues up through high school. I watched lots of baseball, collected baseball cards and dreamed of being an outfielder for the Yankees one day.

As you may have figured out by now, I never played for the Yankees, though I eventually attended my first game at Yankee Stadium when I was in my late 20s.

It was a long time coming, and when I was walking up to the legendary stadium, a vendor was selling T-shirts that read BOSTON SUCKS in large all-cap letters stretched across the shirt. It was funny to me, because Boston was and remains a huge rival with the Yankees, but it was even funnier because they weren’t even playing the Red Sox that day.

We love to hate our rivals, and over the years I’ve despised the Boston Red Sox for that reason.

I hated the team but not the actual players or the team’s fans. I’ve been to Boston a few times and it’s a great town with its heritage rooted in American history.

I believe that’s why “The Star-Spangled Banner” is played before most sporting events in the United States. The national anthem is played as a symbol of patriotism, but it’s also played to remind us all that, no matter how heated the rivalry, we’re all on the same team. We’re all Americans. We’re indivisible.

“The Star-Spangled Banner” was most notably played during Game 1 of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs in 1918.

This was during World War I, and morale in the country was running low. The song was played during the seventh-inning stretch, and it was reported that players and fans saluted and cheered the gesture. It was then played at all games of the World Series that year.

Boston eventually made the song a regular part of home games, other teams and sports leagues followed suit, and a tradition was born.

Throughout history, there have been protests by athletes during the playing of the national anthem, but these displays always seem misguided to me.

No matter how imperfect the United States may be or how divided our opinions, “The Star-Spangled Banner” is a song of hope and unity even during times of despair.

The lyrics of the song were taken from a poem by Francis Scott Key after he witnessed the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. The words were inspired in the midst of conflict about the perseverance of America. He wrote, “And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.”

The present American flag has 50 stars for each of the 50 states and 13 stripes for each of the original 13 colonies that declared independence from Britain. The flag itself represents our diversity, unity and struggles in our pursuit of happiness.

So stand unwavering in your beliefs, but always remember that we’re all in this together.

Regardless of what team you’re pulling for or which team you love to hate, don’t be a hater.

Whether you affiliate with the red states or the blue states on Election Day, don’t be a hater if your candidate doesn’t win. Hope for leadership that brings the country together as one.

Don’t let hate triumph over love. Remember, we’re all on the same team. We’re all part of the human race. We’re all Americans rooting for the home team and rooting for the game-winning home run.