For a New York Yankees fan like me, there has been a lot of misery involved in watching the Yankees lose the first two games of their American League Division Series to the Cleveland Indians.

Thursday’s 12-3 blowout was embarrassing. Friday night’s bug-infested 2-1 11-inning loss was torture. Knowing that another Yankee season that promised a happier ending is on the verge of going up in smoke is sickening.

Worse than all of that, however, is the taunting I am having to endure from my wife and 11-year-old son.

See, when my dad was alive he turned my youngest child into an Indians fan. I don’t know how he did it. But, he did it. And now that is haunting me.

I made a small $2 wager (his choice) with my son regarding the outcome of the series. Thursday night I was bombarded with “you better get your 2 bucks ready” taunts.

Friday morning, of course, he was prancing around the house proudly wearing his Indians cap and rubbing it in. Friday night, more of the same. Only now, my wife — who ordinarily doesn’t give a damn about sports our kids aren’t playing in — has joined the Indians camp.

Outnumbered in my own house. Damn!

The Yankees had better have a comeback up their sleeves. If they don’t, there won’t be any place for me to hide.

(– Ed Valentine is an award-winning columnist and former sports editor of two daily newspapers. His work can be found at Valentine’s Views and Big Blue View.)