2008 Baseball Season/Off-Season Discussion

[tim_m]

this game is endless...

You can say that again. Its been a damn good one so many great defensive plays with the exception of Uggla. That dude has had a game to forget.

[pilferk]

I made it til midnight...then I was toast.

I wonder if Francona gets grilled for marathoning those position players from the 8th til the 15th....some teams have GOT to be a bit ticked off.

Still, it was a good one, by all accounts.

[tim_m]

I made it til midnight...then I was toast.

I wonder if Francona gets grilled for marathoning those position players from the 8th til the 15th....some teams have GOT to be a bit ticked off.

Still, it was a good one, by all accounts.

I think it would be a bit unfair if he did its not like he had much choice.

[faldor]

What do you expect when he says he should close the all star game and not Rivera? He has a history of saying stupid shit. So no sympathy here. What a game though. Is this gonna be another tie? Who gets home field in the series if it does.

You missed the point.  He DIDN'T SAY THAT.  He said he'd like to close, not he SHOULD close.  He didn't say one negative thing about Rivera.  He said he's a competitor and would like the opportunity to close but understands that it's in Rivera's backyard.  I want to say he even referred to Rivera as the "godfather of closers". 

Granted Jonathan is an outspoken guy and sometimes opens his mouth when he shouldn't, but he did nothing wrong in this situation.  And if you have no sympathy for people throwing insults and threats at a baseball player and his wife during a PARADE, well I'd like to think you're above that.

All this does is add to the Yanks/Sox rivalry, which really doesn't need anything added to it at this point.  The Fenway faithful I'm sure will be in fine form when the Yanks visit next weekend.  Again, booing a player on the field, fine.  I've been guilty of that.  I went to a Yanks/Sox game this spring and hurled many "you sucks" to the Yankee relievers who warmed up during the game.  But during a PARADE.  If Papelbon and his wife are eating at a NY restaurant is it okay to go up to his table and start screaming at him about how much he sucks.  Low class!  Plain and simple.



Anyhow, great game last night.  Couldn't quite make it through the whole thing.  Quite exciting down the stretch though.

[faldor]

I made it til midnight...then I was toast.

I wonder if Francona gets grilled for marathoning those position players from the 8th til the 15th....some teams have GOT to be a bit ticked off.

Still, it was a good one, by all accounts.

That's one of the many problems with the All Star game.  The politically correct thing is to try and get everyone in the game and you can't really predict going 15 innings.  So usually most if not all position players get into the game by the time the 9th inning rolls around.  I was nervous for Terry though.  I thought he was gonna run out of pitchers.  I'm sure he didn't want to stretch Kazmir out much more since the Rays didn't even want him to pitch in the first place.  I think Francona joked that he may have had J.D. Drew pitch if they went any longer.  I heard on SportsCenter this morning that Brad Lidge warmed up like 5 different times and probably threw close to 100 throws in the process.  The Phillies probably aren't thrilled with that.  But what are you gonna do.  If the MLB wants to make it "really count", that's what you're gonna get.

[tim_m]

What do you expect when he says he should close the all star game and not Rivera? He has a history of saying stupid shit. So no sympathy here. What a game though. Is this gonna be another tie? Who gets home field in the series if it does.

You missed the point.  He DIDN'T SAY THAT.  He said he'd like to close, not he SHOULD close.  He didn't say one negative thing about Rivera.  He said he's a competitor and would like the opportunity to close but understands that it's in Rivera's backyard.  I want to say he even referred to Rivera as the "godfather of closers". 

Granted Jonathan is an outspoken guy and sometimes opens his mouth when he shouldn't, but he did nothing wrong in this situation.  And if you have no sympathy for people throwing insults and threats at a baseball player and his wife during a PARADE, well I'd like to think you're above that.

All this does is add to the Yanks/Sox rivalry, which really doesn't need anything added to it at this point.  The Fenway faithful I'm sure will be in fine form when the Yanks visit next weekend.  Again, booing a player on the field, fine.  I've been guilty of that.  I went to a Yanks/Sox game this spring and hurled many "you sucks" to the Yankee relievers who warmed up during the game.  But during a PARADE.  If Papelbon and his wife are eating at a NY restaurant is it okay to go up to his table and start screaming at him about how much he sucks.  Low class!  Plain and simple.



Anyhow, great game last night.  Couldn't quite make it through the whole thing.  Quite exciting down the stretch though.

Oh i just meant regarding his comments. If he and ashley were really being threatened and verbally assaulted thats not cool thats just going too far. Even with what he said he probably shouldn't have said anything cause someone in the new york media will always make it into something it isn't.

But yeah that was a great one. What a way to send off yankee stadium with a 15 inning thriller that goes until 1am in the east. I thought for sure it as going to end in a tie and they'd have to figure out what to do since the winner is supposed to get home field in the world series. When the winning run scored i think the only time i've seen Francona happier was when the red sox won the series.

[faldor]

What do you expect when he says he should close the all star game and not Rivera? He has a history of saying stupid shit. So no sympathy here. What a game though. Is this gonna be another tie? Who gets home field in the series if it does.

You missed the point.  He DIDN'T SAY THAT.  He said he'd like to close, not he SHOULD close.  He didn't say one negative thing about Rivera.  He said he's a competitor and would like the opportunity to close but understands that it's in Rivera's backyard.  I want to say he even referred to Rivera as the "godfather of closers". 

Granted Jonathan is an outspoken guy and sometimes opens his mouth when he shouldn't, but he did nothing wrong in this situation.  And if you have no sympathy for people throwing insults and threats at a baseball player and his wife during a PARADE, well I'd like to think you're above that.

All this does is add to the Yanks/Sox rivalry, which really doesn't need anything added to it at this point.  The Fenway faithful I'm sure will be in fine form when the Yanks visit next weekend.  Again, booing a player on the field, fine.  I've been guilty of that.  I went to a Yanks/Sox game this spring and hurled many "you sucks" to the Yankee relievers who warmed up during the game.  But during a PARADE.  If Papelbon and his wife are eating at a NY restaurant is it okay to go up to his table and start screaming at him about how much he sucks.  Low class!  Plain and simple.



Anyhow, great game last night.  Couldn't quite make it through the whole thing.  Quite exciting down the stretch though.

Oh i just meant regarding his comments. If he and ashley were really being threatened and verbally assaulted thats not cool thats just going too far. Even with what he said he probably shouldn't have said anything cause someone in the new york media will always make it into something it isn't.

Yeah, that's my main problem with it is the media.  The fans are just going off what they read, and the headline is WAY misleading.  The media is a bunch of scum all over the place though, not just NY.  Heck, the Boston Herald printed that false story about Matt Walsh having a tape of the Rams walkthrough before Super Bowl XXXVI when no tape ever existed.  Talk about bad journalism, that's trashing a hometown team. 

As for Papelbon and his wife getting booed at the parade, that's what they said during the game last night so that's all I'm going on.  It could've easily been just 3 or 4 drunk guys.  There's always a few bad apples in every crowd.  I know there are plenty of good Yankee fans out there, don't mean to cast dispersions on the entire fanbase.  I can definitely see how there could be some hatred for Papelbon though.  He sticks his foot in his mouth far too often.  Like a few weeks after the brawl with Tampa Bay when he said it's not over yet.  That kind of stuff just doesn't need to be said.  I'm sure there are plenty of Tampa fans who aren't too fond of Paps either.  Just like the Yankees have their villains.  A-Rod being public enemy #1, with Giambi coming a close second.  Jeter and Rivera are respected from the Boston point of view though, at least from my perspective.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

I never thought I would say this, being that the only team I hate more than the Yankees are the Gayants.

But the Red Sox and their players and fans have gotten to my last nerve.

Congratulations on being the new Yankees.

 

[tim_m]

What do you expect when he says he should close the all star game and not Rivera? He has a history of saying stupid shit. So no sympathy here. What a game though. Is this gonna be another tie? Who gets home field in the series if it does.

You missed the point.  He DIDN'T SAY THAT.  He said he'd like to close, not he SHOULD close.  He didn't say one negative thing about Rivera.  He said he's a competitor and would like the opportunity to close but understands that it's in Rivera's backyard.  I want to say he even referred to Rivera as the "godfather of closers". 

Granted Jonathan is an outspoken guy and sometimes opens his mouth when he shouldn't, but he did nothing wrong in this situation.  And if you have no sympathy for people throwing insults and threats at a baseball player and his wife during a PARADE, well I'd like to think you're above that.

All this does is add to the Yanks/Sox rivalry, which really doesn't need anything added to it at this point.  The Fenway faithful I'm sure will be in fine form when the Yanks visit next weekend.  Again, booing a player on the field, fine.  I've been guilty of that.  I went to a Yanks/Sox game this spring and hurled many "you sucks" to the Yankee relievers who warmed up during the game.  But during a PARADE.  If Papelbon and his wife are eating at a NY restaurant is it okay to go up to his table and start screaming at him about how much he sucks.  Low class!  Plain and simple.



Anyhow, great game last night.  Couldn't quite make it through the whole thing.  Quite exciting down the stretch though.

Oh i just meant regarding his comments. If he and ashley were really being threatened and verbally assaulted thats not cool thats just going too far. Even with what he said he probably shouldn't have said anything cause someone in the new york media will always make it into something it isn't.

Yeah, that's my main problem with it is the media.  The fans are just going off what they read, and the headline is WAY misleading.  The media is a bunch of scum all over the place though, not just NY.  Heck, the Boston Herald printed that false story about Matt Walsh having a tape of the Rams walkthrough before Super Bowl XXXVI when no tape ever existed.  Talk about bad journalism, that's trashing a hometown team. 

As for Papelbon and his wife getting booed at the parade, that's what they said during the game last night so that's all I'm going on.  It could've easily been just 3 or 4 drunk guys.  There's always a few bad apples in every crowd.  I know there are plenty of good Yankee fans out there, don't mean to cast dispersions on the entire fanbase.  I can definitely see how there could be some hatred for Papelbon though.  He sticks his foot in his mouth far too often.  Like a few weeks after the brawl with Tampa Bay when he said it's not over yet.  That kind of stuff just doesn't need to be said.  I'm sure there are plenty of Tampa fans who aren't too fond of Paps either.  Just like the Yankees have their villains.  A-Rod being public enemy #1, with Giambi coming a close second.  Jeter and Rivera are respected from the Boston point of view though, at least from my perspective.

Yeah the media is pretty crappy anywhere. They'll print anything that they think will make a story or create some kinda controversy no matter how stupid or untrue it is. I hope it was only a few drunk idiots but i'd rather it have been no one. I dislike the guy but you just don't threaten people in the end its just a game.

[faldor]

I never thought I would say this, being that the only team I hate more than the Yankees are the Gayants.

But the Red Sox and their players and fans have gotten to my last nerve.

Congratulations on being the new Yankees.

 

I wouldn't blame the Red Sox solely.  And I guess I'd be grouped in here since I'm a Sox fan.  But it's a culture now since ALL the sports teams in Boston are winning.  You are right to a point though.  I'm a more subdued fan and don't brag about how good my teams are these days.  I know all too well the hard times we suffered through from the late 80's through 2000.  But I guess some fans are making up for lost time and think Boston is the mecca of sports at this time.  It's not gonna last forever, we've got to enjoy it while it lasts.

Nobody likes a winner outside of the fans of that team.  That's why the Patriots are the most hated NFL team.  People started calling them the new Yankees years ago, although they haven't won a Super Bowl in 4 years now. 

Just out of curiosity, what players on the Sox do you not care for?  I can understand Papelbon.  Coco Crisp acted like a bit of a punk in that brawl with the Rays.  Schilling rubs a lot of people the wrong way.  Aside from that though, I can't see how anyone could dislike the guys despite the fact that they're good and they win.

[pilferk]

What do you expect when he says he should close the all star game and not Rivera? He has a history of saying stupid shit. So no sympathy here. What a game though. Is this gonna be another tie? Who gets home field in the series if it does.

You missed the point.  He DIDN'T SAY THAT.  He said he'd like to close, not he SHOULD close.  He didn't say one negative thing about Rivera.  He said he's a competitor and would like the opportunity to close but understands that it's in Rivera's backyard.  I want to say he even referred to Rivera as the "godfather of closers". 

Granted Jonathan is an outspoken guy and sometimes opens his mouth when he shouldn't, but he did nothing wrong in this situation.  And if you have no sympathy for people throwing insults and threats at a baseball player and his wife during a PARADE, well I'd like to think you're above that.

All this does is add to the Yanks/Sox rivalry, which really doesn't need anything added to it at this point.  The Fenway faithful I'm sure will be in fine form when the Yanks visit next weekend.  Again, booing a player on the field, fine.  I've been guilty of that.  I went to a Yanks/Sox game this spring and hurled many "you sucks" to the Yankee relievers who warmed up during the game.  But during a PARADE.  If Papelbon and his wife are eating at a NY restaurant is it okay to go up to his table and start screaming at him about how much he sucks.  Low class!  Plain and simple.



Anyhow, great game last night.  Couldn't quite make it through the whole thing.  Quite exciting down the stretch though.

I agree, nobody should threaten a player, or especially their pregnant wife, over comments made in the media.

That being said, here's how Johnny answers the question about who should close the game:

"Tito is the manager, and he'll make that call when the time comes.  Everyone is very conscious of where this game is being played, and the history behind it all.  Next question.".

[pilferk]

Yeah, that's my main problem with it is the media.  The fans are just going off what they read, and the headline is WAY misleading.  The media is a bunch of scum all over the place though, not just NY.  Heck, the Boston Herald printed that false story about Matt Walsh having a tape of the Rams walkthrough before Super Bowl XXXVI when no tape ever existed.  Talk about bad journalism, that's trashing a hometown team. 

As for Papelbon and his wife getting booed at the parade, that's what they said during the game last night so that's all I'm going on.  It could've easily been just 3 or 4 drunk guys.  There's always a few bad apples in every crowd.  I know there are plenty of good Yankee fans out there, don't mean to cast dispersions on the entire fanbase.  I can definitely see how there could be some hatred for Papelbon though.  He sticks his foot in his mouth far too often.  Like a few weeks after the brawl with Tampa Bay when he said it's not over yet.  That kind of stuff just doesn't need to be said.  I'm sure there are plenty of Tampa fans who aren't too fond of Paps either.  Just like the Yankees have their villains.  A-Rod being public enemy #1, with Giambi coming a close second.  Jeter and Rivera are respected from the Boston point of view though, at least from my perspective.

I have no problem with them BOOING Pappelbon...or his wife.  But no more than that.  Threats or throwing shit is out of line.

Look..it's Yankees/Red Sox.  You knew that when any of the Sox is around, the home town crowd is going to make their feelings known, with or without the sensationalistic crap headline (and the Post is a tabloid, after all).  Just like if a couple of the Yanks....Arod and Giambi, for example, were involved in parade down Yawkey way...I'd expect some jeers from the crowd.

[pilferk]

Just out of curiosity, what players on the Sox do you not care for?  I can understand Papelbon.  Coco Crisp acted like a bit of a punk in that brawl with the Rays.  Schilling rubs a lot of people the wrong way.  Aside from that though, I can't see how anyone could dislike the guys despite the fact that they're good and they win.

That's the short list.

Add Manny to it (the "Manny being Manny" stuff makes me want to punch something...."Manny can be Manny" but anyone else does the shit he gets a pass on and you get a whole different story).  His recent comments have no place in baseball....the Sox have been VERY patient with him, and him "being Manny".  Contract year or not, that stuff should stay in the clubhouse and the business meetings.

Pedroia might make the list, too.

That would be pretty much it...but then..that's  5 pretty high profile guys on your team.

I always respected Ortiz  Veritek, and Youkilis....except when they're playing the Yanks.

[pilferk]

That's one of the many problems with the All Star game.  The politically correct thing is to try and get everyone in the game and you can't really predict going 15 innings.  So usually most if not all position players get into the game by the time the 9th inning rolls around.  I was nervous for Terry though.  I thought he was gonna run out of pitchers.  I'm sure he didn't want to stretch Kazmir out much more since the Rays didn't even want him to pitch in the first place.  I think Francona joked that he may have had J.D. Drew pitch if they went any longer.  I heard on SportsCenter this morning that Brad Lidge warmed up like 5 different times and probably threw close to 100 throws in the process.  The Phillies probably aren't thrilled with that.  But what are you gonna do.  If the MLB wants to make it "really count", that's what you're gonna get.

Oh, I understand the whys....who would've thought it would go 15 innings.

But I suspected that some teams might not be too keen on their position players essentially working almost a full game, while the starters mostly got an easy night.  And the pitching situation I thought might ruffle some feathers.

Looks like, though, cooler heads prevailed and everyone sort of "got it".  Which is good.

[faldor]

Just out of curiosity, what players on the Sox do you not care for?  I can understand Papelbon.  Coco Crisp acted like a bit of a punk in that brawl with the Rays.  Schilling rubs a lot of people the wrong way.  Aside from that though, I can't see how anyone could dislike the guys despite the fact that they're good and they win.

That's the short list.

Add Manny to it (the "Manny being Manny" stuff makes me want to punch something...."Manny can be Manny" but anyone else does the shit he gets a pass on and you get a whole different story).  His recent comments have no place in baseball....the Sox have been VERY patient with him, and him "being Manny".  Contract year or not, that stuff should stay in the clubhouse and the business meetings.

Pedroia might make the list, too.

That would be pretty much it...but then..that's  5 pretty high profile guys on your team.

I always respected Ortiz  Veritek, and Youkilis....except when they're playing the Yanks.

How could I forget Manny?  How bout his pimpin homeruns?  I would hate that if he was on the opposing team.  I love it when he's on my team however.  Yeah his recent comments have ruffled some feathers.  John Henry, the majority owner of the Sox, responded yesterday and said he was "personally offended" by the comments Manny made.  Not good to piss off the man who at the end of the day signs your checks.  Manny is a great player and is guaranteed to have his little episodes at least a couple times a year.  He is given a pass because he's such a great player.  Is it fair?  No, but that's the way things go.  Some people get a little more room to work with in life and can get away with certain stuff.  He's pushing it this year though from getting into an altercation with Youkilis, to pushing to the ground the travelling secretary (no, not George Costanza), and now this.

Dustin Pedroia?  Really?  That guys a gamer, plays hard day in day out.  The boy is like 5'6", yet he goes out there and gets it done.  What's not to like about him?  Just wondering.  Do you also dislike David Eckstein?

[pilferk]

Just out of curiosity, what players on the Sox do you not care for?  I can understand Papelbon.  Coco Crisp acted like a bit of a punk in that brawl with the Rays.  Schilling rubs a lot of people the wrong way.  Aside from that though, I can't see how anyone could dislike the guys despite the fact that they're good and they win.

That's the short list.

Add Manny to it (the "Manny being Manny" stuff makes me want to punch something...."Manny can be Manny" but anyone else does the shit he gets a pass on and you get a whole different story).  His recent comments have no place in baseball....the Sox have been VERY patient with him, and him "being Manny".  Contract year or not, that stuff should stay in the clubhouse and the business meetings.

Pedroia might make the list, too.

That would be pretty much it...but then..that's  5 pretty high profile guys on your team.

I always respected Ortiz  Veritek, and Youkilis....except when they're playing the Yanks.

How could I forget Manny?  How bout his pimpin homeruns?  I would hate that if he was on the opposing team.  I love it when he's on my team however.  Yeah his recent comments have ruffled some feathers.  John Henry, the majority owner of the Sox, responded yesterday and said he was "personally offended" by the comments Manny made.  Not good to piss off the man who at the end of the day signs your checks.  Manny is a great player and is guaranteed to have his little episodes at least a couple times a year.  He is given a pass because he's such a great player.  Is it fair?  No, but that's the way things go.  Some people get a little more room to work with in life and can get away with certain stuff.  He's pushing it this year though from getting into an altercation with Youkilis, to pushing to the ground the travelling secretary (no, not George Costanza), and now this.

Dustin Pedroia?  Really?  That guys a gamer, plays hard day in day out.  The boy is like 5'6", yet he goes out there and gets it done.  What's not to like about him?  Just wondering.  Do you also dislike David Eckstein?

Eckstein doesn't blip the radar.

Pedroia just comes across as sorta cocky....way too cocky for a young kid.  Maybe it's just me...which is why I said he "might" make the list.

I also should have added Lowell to the list of guys I respect.

[faldor]

Just out of curiosity, what players on the Sox do you not care for?  I can understand Papelbon.  Coco Crisp acted like a bit of a punk in that brawl with the Rays.  Schilling rubs a lot of people the wrong way.  Aside from that though, I can't see how anyone could dislike the guys despite the fact that they're good and they win.

That's the short list.

Add Manny to it (the "Manny being Manny" stuff makes me want to punch something...."Manny can be Manny" but anyone else does the shit he gets a pass on and you get a whole different story).  His recent comments have no place in baseball....the Sox have been VERY patient with him, and him "being Manny".  Contract year or not, that stuff should stay in the clubhouse and the business meetings.

Pedroia might make the list, too.

That would be pretty much it...but then..that's  5 pretty high profile guys on your team.

I always respected Ortiz  Veritek, and Youkilis....except when they're playing the Yanks.

How could I forget Manny?  How bout his pimpin homeruns?  I would hate that if he was on the opposing team.  I love it when he's on my team however.  Yeah his recent comments have ruffled some feathers.  John Henry, the majority owner of the Sox, responded yesterday and said he was "personally offended" by the comments Manny made.  Not good to piss off the man who at the end of the day signs your checks.  Manny is a great player and is guaranteed to have his little episodes at least a couple times a year.  He is given a pass because he's such a great player.  Is it fair?  No, but that's the way things go.  Some people get a little more room to work with in life and can get away with certain stuff.  He's pushing it this year though from getting into an altercation with Youkilis, to pushing to the ground the travelling secretary (no, not George Costanza), and now this.

Dustin Pedroia?  Really?  That guys a gamer, plays hard day in day out.  The boy is like 5'6", yet he goes out there and gets it done.  What's not to like about him?  Just wondering.  Do you also dislike David Eckstein?

Eckstein doesn't blip the radar.

Pedroia just comes across as sorta cocky....way too cocky for a young kid.  Maybe it's just me...which is why I said he "might" make the list.

I also should have added Lowell to the list of guys I respect.

Okay, I thought maybe you had something against short ballplayers or something.  I don't get the sense that Pedroia is cocky, but I may be partial of course.  He got off to a terrible start last year and rebounded to win the Rookie of the Year.  He never complained or made any excuses, just went about his business and turned things around.  I understand outsiders may have a different view of things though.  I used to hate Paul O'Neill because of his crazy antics whenver he made an out and such (much like Youkilis does these days).  But his appearance on Seinfeld turned things around for me.  I thought he was great on that episode.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

I never thought I would say this, being that the only team I hate more than the Yankees are the Gayants.

But the Red Sox and their players and fans have gotten to my last nerve.

Congratulations on being the new Yankees.

 

I wouldn't blame the Red Sox solely.  And I guess I'd be grouped in here since I'm a Sox fan.  But it's a culture now since ALL the sports teams in Boston are winning.  You are right to a point though.  I'm a more subdued fan and don't brag about how good my teams are these days.  I know all too well the hard times we suffered through from the late 80's through 2000.  But I guess some fans are making up for lost time and think Boston is the mecca of sports at this time.  It's not gonna last forever, we've got to enjoy it while it lasts.

Nobody likes a winner outside of the fans of that team.  That's why the Patriots are the most hated NFL team.  People started calling them the new Yankees years ago, although they haven't won a Super Bowl in 4 years now. 

Just out of curiosity, what players on the Sox do you not care for?  I can understand Papelbon.  Coco Crisp acted like a bit of a punk in that brawl with the Rays.  Schilling rubs a lot of people the wrong way.  Aside from that though, I can't see how anyone could dislike the guys despite the fact that they're good and they win.

This is where I'm coming from.

During 2003 and 2004, I always rooted for the Sox to beat the Yanks.  Not only to break the curse, because the team was primarily composed of decent, humble guys who wanted to win.  There was little to no drama.  I had respect for those guys.

Remember when Varitek completely owned that overpaid piece of shit?



Damn, I thought that was the shit!

Nowadays, the whole team comes off like they are a bunch of spoiled brats.

Manny was always Manny.  But the way everyone else carries themselves.  If Schilling was a nobody, I could care less.  But he's one of the faces of the franchise, so he automatically paints Boston in a negative light when he opens his fat yapper. 

Dugout brawls, incidents behind "closed doors" that get out in the news anyway...overexposure.

I'm happy that the legally blind pitcher got his no-hitter.

But do I still need to hear about it? 

The Sox are the new Evil Empire.  Their farm system is a mess.  The Sox are buying players much like the Yankees used to.

[tim_m]

Schilling is definitely the guy who should most keep his mouth shut. He says something stupid every time he opens it.

[faldor]

I never thought I would say this, being that the only team I hate more than the Yankees are the Gayants.

But the Red Sox and their players and fans have gotten to my last nerve.

Congratulations on being the new Yankees.

 

I wouldn't blame the Red Sox solely.  And I guess I'd be grouped in here since I'm a Sox fan.  But it's a culture now since ALL the sports teams in Boston are winning.  You are right to a point though.  I'm a more subdued fan and don't brag about how good my teams are these days.  I know all too well the hard times we suffered through from the late 80's through 2000.  But I guess some fans are making up for lost time and think Boston is the mecca of sports at this time.  It's not gonna last forever, we've got to enjoy it while it lasts.

Nobody likes a winner outside of the fans of that team.  That's why the Patriots are the most hated NFL team.  People started calling them the new Yankees years ago, although they haven't won a Super Bowl in 4 years now. 

Just out of curiosity, what players on the Sox do you not care for?  I can understand Papelbon.  Coco Crisp acted like a bit of a punk in that brawl with the Rays.  Schilling rubs a lot of people the wrong way.  Aside from that though, I can't see how anyone could dislike the guys despite the fact that they're good and they win.

This is where I'm coming from.

During 2003 and 2004, I always rooted for the Sox to beat the Yanks.  Not only to break the curse, because the team was primarily composed of decent, humble guys who wanted to win.  There was little to no drama.  I had respect for those guys.

Remember when Varitek completely owned that overpaid piece of shit?



Damn, I thought that was the shit!

Nowadays, the whole team comes off like they are a bunch of spoiled brats.

Manny was always Manny.  But the way everyone else carries themselves.  If Schilling was a nobody, I could care less.  But he's one of the faces of the franchise, so he automatically paints Boston in a negative light when he opens his fat yapper. 

Dugout brawls, incidents behind "closed doors" that get out in the news anyway...overexposure.

I'm happy that the legally blind pitcher got his no-hitter.

But do I still need to hear about it? 

The Sox are the new Evil Empire.  Their farm system is a mess.  The Sox are buying players much like the Yankees used to.

I'll accept everything you said, EXCEPT that their farm system is a mess.  That couldn't be farther from the truth.  They have rebuilty their farm system to be quite formidable.  I won't say it's among the best, but they've got plenty of bullets in the chamber so to speak.  They've got Paplebon, Pedroia, Ellsbury, Delcarmen, Hansen, Lowrie, Moss just to name a few that have given them major to minor contributions in recent years.  Granted they're helped a great deal by the amount of money they're able to spend on free agents and such, but to say that they solely buy their players is completely incorrect.  The core of their team is homegrown or through trades aside from Manny and Ortiz (who they grabbed on the bargain bin of free agency a couple years ago.) 

I'll accept you hating the Red Sox, but you're gonna have to give me a better reason than that.  That they BUY their championships.  Hey, you can spend all the money you want, that doesn't guarantee a championship.  Ask the Yankees about that.  I know what you're trying to get at, but it's not completely true.  Do the Sox have a bloated payroll?  Absolutely.  But that doesn't guarantee success and they have set themselves up for the FUTURE as they haven't gone dependent on overpaid veterans.