I lost interest in baseball after we lost our team in 1971. I followed other sports and fortunately the Wizards (in the '70s) and the Redskins (in the '80s) were quite successful. Sure, I would tune in to the MLB playoffs and the WS but didn't really follow the regular season. I went to the occasional game in Baltimore but never felt at home there.
When I moved to NYC in the mid '80s, I started to follow the Mets (yes, Davey's Mets) and caught baseball fever again. And then when I moved back to the area and my older son started to play baseball in the late '90s, I fell in love with coaching and the fundamentals of the game. But I still didn't follow MLB that much.
I was in Edmonton, Alberta, for a business conference when MLB announced (in 2003?) that the Expos were moving to DC. I decided right then and there that I would become a STH (as long as I could afford it) to make up for lost time. It's been a great ride ever since.