Ann Michael Maye’s favorite athlete is an easy choice: her husband, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. But when it comes to baseball heroes from her childhood in North Carolina, the answer might surprise you.
“Obviously I’m not from here. I didn’t grow up a Patriots, Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox fan at all. Big Papi was my favorite baseball player while growing up though,” Ann Michael said on a recent episode of her “Beyond Bakemas” cooking show. “Randomly, I loved him as a kid. I think I liked his name -- I was a little girl and thought it was just so fun.”
Fast forward to today, and Ann Michael is officially all-in on New England sports.
“Now I’m like, of course the Celtics are my favorite NBA team, the Red Sox are my favorite team,” she said.
Back then, though, her allegiance was a little more practical. She grew up a Braves fan -- mainly because Atlanta was the closest team to North Carolina.
These days, Ann Michael has become a social media star in her own right, especially after her festive “Bakemas” TikTok videos that racked up millions of views during the holidays.
So, here’s the dream scenario: Big Papi in the “Beyond Bakemas” kitchen, helping cook up a Red Sox-themed treat when the season rolls around. A full-circle moment, if there ever was one.