File Under: doesn't actually function as satire

Will McDonald, writing for the Royals Review, reported yesterday that Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford was going to open an antiquarian bookstore in Boston. McDonald claimed that Crawford was well-known as a collector and scholar of antiquarian books, a passion fed by some formative reading experiences:

Crawford's passion for New England history began at Jefferson Davis High School in Houston when he read William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation in the 9th grade. "At Jeff Davis at that time, it was very much the old Bercovitch reading of history that dominated. To prepare, I'd read The Puritan Origins of the American Self in eighth grade. Eventually however, I wanted to return to the primary materials."

However, it was revealed today that McDonald's post was a joke, and intended as satire. Not before, however, sports fans all over the interwebs took it seriously:

Then the story went viral on Twitter. I was among those contaminated (I'm a Dodger fan, but I'm fond of the Red Sox too). Boston360, book journalist Sarah Weinman, author Julie Klam and publisher Norton Critical Editions were among the hundreds eager to spread the word. Sadly, the story wasn't true. Crawford is not a rare book collector, and it has not been his dream to open an antiquarian book shop.

So sad! Or is it? The LA Times blog reports that Crawford responded positively on his Twitter feed to the enthusiasm of his fans:

Strangley, at 6 p.m. Tueday, Crawford promised -- or joked? -- that McDonald's wish might become a reality. Responding to the flood of positive tweets to the (satiric) antiquarian bookseller announcement, the baseball star tweeted, "Yes for those asking, I am going to open a bookstore" from his verified Twitter account. "Details to come."

Ok, this is not even very funny anymore. It's just confusing.