How 'bout them Sox

[Jason Menard]

Game 1, 5-2. Not too shabby. The AL championship series should be better than the World Series.

[Thomas Paul]

The Sox suck and all Red Sox fans suck, too!

[Jason Menard]

[Mark Ju]

Why were they bagging on Ed so much? I feel bad for the guy...
Also, why is hitting the foul pool a homerun?

[Michael Ernest]

The pole itself is deemed part of the field of play.

[Paul Stevens]

Just like the line.

[Paul Stevens]

Hell Cooling
The denizens of hell are up in arms in recent weeks. They are demanding that Satan give a full account of why it has been getting cooler in recent weeks. Satan has given his assurance that "There is no way in here that the Cubs and Sox play in the World Series." He says the whole hell cooling thing is made up by extremists. He was quoted as saying, "Even if it is, I would like ice in my lemonade once in awhile."
More news as it breaks.

[Jason Menard]

First the Yankmees beat up a middle school special ed teacher in their bullpen for the inexcusable crime of cheering for the Red Sox. Then one of their coaches forgets he's 72 and decides to attack Pedro Martinez, who flings him aside rather than letting himself get hit (As Patriots QB Tom Brady put it, "It's better to beat up a 72 year old man than get beaten up by one."). What do you think the Yankmees will do for an encore? Send their bat boys to beat the concession stand workers with bats? Oh well, it's not like NY teams (and many of the fans who attend their games for that matter) have any history of having any class to begin with, is it?

[Jason Menard]

A couple of relevant articles:
Our Way: Root and Hoot (New York Times)
Groundskeeper, special needs teacher at the center of bullpen brouhaha (Boston Globe)
Police report on Sox-Yankees bullpen altercation (Boston Globe)

[Thomas Paul]

My favorite part of Saturday's game was when Manny Ramirez came to the plate. He was so terrified of Clemens that his butt was practically back in the dugout before Clemens threw his first pitch.
Pedro is just a little girl. He can't beat the Yankees so he throws at a guy's head. As one sportswriter put it, "Pedro is good at writing checks that his team mates can't cash."

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Jason Menard:
Our Way: Root and Hoot (New York Times)

The guy went to college in Chicago and lives in Washington DC. He is no more a North Easterner than Hillary Clinton. His article it typical of those outsiders who fail to understand what living your life in NY means.

[Jason Menard]

Originally posted by Thomas Paul:
He can't beat the Yankees

Pedro has a 101-28 record since joining the Sox. I'm thinking that a few of them might be against NY.
This just in: Several Yankee players and support staff were reported throwing batteries, of all things, at elementary school children on a tour of Fenway Park prior to this afternoon's game. One Yankees official was quoted as saying "They were wearing Red Sox hats and shirts in our midst, and that's something we just couldn't stand for."

[Jason Menard]

Originally posted by Thomas Paul:
His article it typical of those outsiders who fail to understand what living your life in NY means.

Must... hold... back... sarcasm...
Whew! That was a close one. In my experience, this quote was pretty accurate:

It's interesting, for example, to turn and watch Yankee and Red Sox fans as they watch a game. As the game goes on, they almost never display pleasure, contentment or joy. Instead, during the game they experience long periods of contempt interrupted by short bursts of vindication.

At least for Boston area fans it's pretty accurate.
[ October 14, 2003: Message edited by: Jason Menard ]

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Jason Menard:
Pedro has a 101-28 record since joining the Sox. I'm thinking that a few of them might be against NY.

Very few. In fact, the Red Sox have a losing record against the Yankees when Pedro starts for them. This season, the Sox were 1-3 in games Pedro started against the Yanks. Add the postseason and they are 1-4.

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Jason Menard:
At least for Boston area fans it's pretty accurate.

That comes from losing a lot.

[Jason Menard]

Originally posted by Thomas Paul:
That comes from losing a lot.

Hey, you know what they say about the Yankmees: they're the best team money can buy.
As an aside, I should note how incredibly popular the Red Sox have suddenly become down here in the Baltimore area. Ask most people here who their favorite team is and they'll tell you that their favorite team is the O's, and their second favorite team is the team playing the Yankees.

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Jason Menard:
Hey, you know what they say about the Yankmees: they're the best team money can buy.

As opposed to the Red Sox which have all home grown talent like Pedro and Manny, right?

[Paul Stevens]

Look what homegrown talent gets you. The Detroit Tigers.

[Paul Stevens]

I just heard some singing.

[Thomas Paul]

Now back to Yankee stadium to put the poor Sux fans out of their misery!

[Paul Stevens]

Told you so. I hope you didn't break too much stuff Jason. The Yankees represent all that is wrong in baseball. But the Sox and Cubs know how to lose.

[Thomas Paul]

WOW!!! What a game. And is there anything better than breaking the hearts of Red Sox fans in the bottom of the 11th in game 7 after they were ahead in the 8th? Yes, just one thing better.... THE WORLD SERIES STARTS AT YANKEE STADIUM IN 40 HOURS!!!

[Jason Menard]

Originally posted by Paul Stevens:
The Yankees represent all that is wrong in baseball.

That's common knowledge to all but the poor deluded Yankmee "fans". Looks like the team managed to buy themselves another championship though. I've pretty much given up on MLB for at least the last fifteen years or so. Maybe they'll fix the sport someday and implement a salary cap, but I doubt it. There would be too much boo-hooing from the influencial Steinbrenner and his toadies, not to mention their battery throwing "fans". Oh well, I suppose its too much to hope that a runaway transit bus somehow goes plowing into their team locker room.
[ October 16, 2003: Message edited by: Jason Menard ]

[Paul Stevens]

The manager for the Sox blew that game. Pedro struggled in the 7th. He should have been yanked when Jeter doubled. Three runs later he decides to take him out.
I gave up on baseball in 1994. I still have the best editorial cartoon on baseball posted in my cube.
Take your ballgame and shove it. Leave me out of your crowd. Players and owners are spoiled fat cats. I don't care if I ever come back. Cause we're sick, sick, sick of their whining. Their greediness is to blame. So it's, one, two, weight strikes...Yer Out. Time for football games.

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Jason Menard:
That's common knowledge to all but the poor deluded Yankmee "fans". Looks like the team managed to buy themselves another championship though.

And what did the Red Sox pay for manny Ramirez (who used to be on the Cleveland Indians) and Pedro (who used to be an Expo)? Jason, you sound like such a cry baby. And calling the Yankees, the "Yankmees" is such an awful attempt to put them down. Boston is the most "me-centered" team in the AL. The Yankees are a true team. If Manny had been pushed down to the 7th spot how long and loud would he have whined?
Anyway, there are plenty of good teams that don't have huge payrolls that still manage to win. It isn't about payroll. It's about baseball knowledge. Most of the Yankees are either home grown talent (like Rivera, Posada, Williams, and Petite) or traded for talent (like Clemens and Boone). And let's face it, even if the system was changed the best players would still want to play on the Yankees because the Yankees are winners. They have an owner that is dedicated to winning. The curse of the Cubs isn't some goat. The curse of the Cubs for the last 95 years is that they have had lousy owners who wouldn't spend a dime to build a good team. Of course, the curse of Boston really is babe Ruth's ghost so it doesn't matter what Boston does they will never win a World Series.
Go Yankees!

By the way, people were whining exactly the same way about the Yankees in the 50's. It isn't about money... it's about committing to win. Second place is as good as last place... only winning counts. Play it any other way and you will always be in second place.

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Paul Stevens:
I gave up on baseball in 1994.

Too bad... this has been the most exciting post season in the history of baseball.

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Paul Stevens:
The manager for the Sox blew that game.

Hire a loser and guess what? You lose. There were plenty of great managers out there that Boston could have tried for. Why weren't they in the running for Pinella? Why did they hire a loser? Because they are a loser franchise.
But don't get too upset about the manager. Even if he pulled Pedro they would still have lost. The Babe would have guided the balls out of the park the same way that he guided Aaron Boone's hit (his first hit in the playoffs that got out of the infield) over the left field fence.

[Jason Menard]

Originally posted by Paul Stevens:
The manager for the Sox blew that game. Pedro struggled in the 7th. He should have been yanked when Jeter doubled. Three runs later he decides to take him out.

I agree, although Pedro does share part of the blame for not admitting he needed to come out when Little asked him. He should have come out before Matsui came to bat. Oh well, what are ya gonna do.
Maybe the BoSox could get some big fat television contract to help them be more competitive. Of course if every team had these huge television deals, then we wouldn't be sending the same team to the World Series almost every year. I should feel fortunate I grew up with the Red Sox. Under the current system I would think even less of baseball than I already do if I were a Twins or Expos fan, for example. There's absolutely no way those small market teams can compete the way things currently are, so you have to really feel for their fans. I suppose though this is the reason that the NFL is the most popular pro sport in the country.
[ October 17, 2003: Message edited by: Jason Menard ]

[Paul Stevens]

Followed by basketball college and pro
college football
nascar
billiards
lint picking
then baseball

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Paul Stevens:
Followed by basketball college and pro
college football
nascar
billiards
lint picking
then baseball

http://www.canoe.ca/TelevisionRatings/us.html
http://www.startribune.com/stories/459/4155673.html
Notice that two baseball games came ahead of Monday night football. And that is without all the Las Vegas action that football generates.
But I could see why losers who follow loser teams might be whining right now!

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Jason Menard:
Under the current system I would think even less of baseball than I already do if I were a Twins or Expos fan, for example.

I'm fairly certain that the Twins made the playoffs this year. In fact, I'm pretty sure that in the last 5 years the Twins have made the playoffs more often than the RED SUX.

[Paul Stevens]

Originally posted by Thomas Paul:

http://www.canoe.ca/TelevisionRatings/us.html
http://www.startribune.com/stories/459/4155673.html
Notice that two baseball games came ahead of Monday night football. And that is without all the Las Vegas action that football generates.
But I could see why losers who follow loser teams might be whining right now!

We will see how watched it is now. Many casual baseball fans and non-fans got caught up in the Red Sox and Cubs runs. Don't delude yourself into thinking they where watching the Yankees and Marlins.
I bet you the ratings drop from the ALCS and NLCS games.

[Jason Menard]

Originally posted by Thomas Paul:
Notice that two baseball games came ahead of Monday night football. And that is without all the Las Vegas action that football generates.

You're surprised that a post-season Boston game rates higher than a Monday Night Football game? You're not actually arguing that the NFL isn't the most popular pro game in the country, are you?

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Jason Menard:
You're surprised that a post-season Boston game rates higher than a Monday Night Football game? You're not actually arguing that the NFL isn't the most popular pro game in the country, are you?

Baseball plays 162 games. Football 16. Football is commonly bet on by nearly everyone in the country whether it is in Vegas or in office pools. It simply is not possible to compare the two sports. Of course, baseball isn't nearly as violent as football so I could see why some people might be attracted to it. It's much easier to appreciate the slamming of helmets against each other than it is to appreciate the subltely of bunting a runner over or stealing a base if you enjoy violence.

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Paul Stevens:
I bet you the ratings drop from the ALCS and NLCS games.

I am sure they will. After all, no one from Boston or Chicago will be able to able to watch the World Series on the TV sets that they recently put their fist through.

[Eric Pascarello]

I missed the homerun last night, I went to the bathroom and walked out of the door to see a Yankee trotting around the bags....UGH....Why couldn't I just hold it....lol

[Paul Stevens]

Originally posted by Thomas Paul:

I am sure they will. After all, no one from Boston or Chicago will be able to able to watch the World Series on the TV sets that they recently put their fist through.

Told you so.

[Tony Collins]

crap game. World Series my arse.
[ October 27, 2003: Message edited by: Tony Collins ]

[Jason Menard]

The Yankmees and their $180 million payroll lost to a team with a $52 million payroll. Looks like Steinbrenner is going to have to spend even more to lure some more players away from smaller market teams if they want to buy themselves a championship next year.
Even though the World Series was pretty weak this year, at least my second favorite team won. Of course my second favorite team would be whichever team is playing the Yankmees at the moment.
And Tony, what's a crap game? Baseball? I know it's not as manly or exciting as cricket for example. Plus baseball lacks that really cool fashion sense that cricket has. :roll:

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Jason Menard:
The Yankmees and their $180 million payroll lost to a team with a $52 million payroll.

Their is no whine as fine as the whine of a Red Sox fan.