I wrote a piece for The Faster Times about Manny Ramirez's return to Fenway Park tonight, saying that I thought most fans would cheer him in his first at-bat.
So I'm wondering what our Red Sox fan readers think. What say you, Boston fans?
As for myself, I do kind of miss seeing Manny 19 games a year - at least the personality part. I found "Manny being Manny" pretty darn entertaining over the years. Don't miss him killing the Yankees at every turn, though!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Showing posts with label Boston Red Sox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boston Red Sox. Show all posts
Friday, June 18, 2010
Monday, December 14, 2009
Are the Boston Red Sox building a bridge to nowhere?
Gather round, Boston fans. I have some questions about what you think about the state of your team these days.
I wrote something for The Faster Times about Jason Bay's rejection of the Sox's offer, and the pending Mike Lowell trade. It seems to me that the concept of loyalty is very one-sided in Soxland. Lowell took the hometown discount to stay in Boston, and he gets traded (pending that thumb issue, of course). Same thing happened with Bronson Arroyo - he got traded two months after leaving four million on the table. Nice!
Then there's the way that we inevitably hear negative things about the player when they're on their way out the door. Last year, Jason Bay was considered better than Manny Ramirez. Now, he's supposedly an injury risk. Right. The same way that Mike Lowell, considered one of the classiest guys to ever put on a Boston uniform, is supposedly now a clubhouse complainer. (See my article for more details, and go to Baseball Think Factory to read others commenting on my piece.)
The way the Sox front office trashes its players is so unseemly, yet it happens pretty much every single time a Boston player goes elsewhere. Tacky.
Anyhow, Theo Epstein had some talk the other day about how 2010 will be the bridge period. Sounds like it's the cheap period to me, with another year of John Smoltz/Brad Penny type supposed "low risk/high reward" signings. Like this year, with the Sox signing the immortal Boof Bonser, after all!
Of course, ticket prices are still going up during this transition time. Shocker!
Are the Sox already conceding the 2010 AL East division title to the Yankees? I think they are. As does Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy. He sharply criticized the Sox in a recent column, saying fans should "not buy the bill of goods the Red Sox are selling." He continued:
Shaughnessy also writes:
One other thing I also read at the Boston Globe this week was about how Theo opposed the Josh Beckett/Mike Lowell for Hanley Ramirez trade, made in his brief absence from the team in 2005. That makes no sense to me. Yes, the Sox gave up a future superstar in Ramirez. But they also won the 2007 World Series thanks to Beckett and Lowell. That seems like a pretty fair tradeoff.
Let's take a quick look at some of the 2010 Red Sox payroll obligations. Right now, they've committed to pay Texas nine million to take Mike Lowell off their hands, assuming the trade goes through. They're also paying nine million for Julio Lugo not to play for them. They'll be paying $14 million for J.D. Drew - a heck of a bigger injury risk than Jason Bay - to play right field; that is, when he isn't taking his weekly day off. They're paying $12.5 million to David Ortiz - which looked like a great deal at the time - to be their DH. Dice-K (or is that Dice-BB, as my friend William calls him?) may actually show up to spring training in shape this time around to earn his $8 million this year. And don't forget that captain Jason Varitek will be getting $5 million as a lifetime achievement award for 2010.
Yes, yes, I know the Yankees have ridiculous contracts as well. (Kei Igawa, anyone?) My point is that Theo Epstein, for all his brilliance, has made a bunch of bad deals that have cost his team. And that not many other teams could afford to essentially pay other teams to take on their players, the way Theo did with Manny Ramirez, Julio Lugo, and is trying to do with Mike Lowell. So sorry, I'm not going to feel too bad for the Red Sox's payroll obligations. If they're having to pinch pennies now, it's because of bad decisions by Epstein, not because of the Yankees' dominance.
Of course, now that I've written this article, watch the Sox sign John Lackey, Matt Holliday, Adrian Beltre, and some other high-priced free agents this afternoon, just to prove this all irrelevant!
I wrote something for The Faster Times about Jason Bay's rejection of the Sox's offer, and the pending Mike Lowell trade. It seems to me that the concept of loyalty is very one-sided in Soxland. Lowell took the hometown discount to stay in Boston, and he gets traded (pending that thumb issue, of course). Same thing happened with Bronson Arroyo - he got traded two months after leaving four million on the table. Nice!
Then there's the way that we inevitably hear negative things about the player when they're on their way out the door. Last year, Jason Bay was considered better than Manny Ramirez. Now, he's supposedly an injury risk. Right. The same way that Mike Lowell, considered one of the classiest guys to ever put on a Boston uniform, is supposedly now a clubhouse complainer. (See my article for more details, and go to Baseball Think Factory to read others commenting on my piece.)
The way the Sox front office trashes its players is so unseemly, yet it happens pretty much every single time a Boston player goes elsewhere. Tacky.
Anyhow, Theo Epstein had some talk the other day about how 2010 will be the bridge period. Sounds like it's the cheap period to me, with another year of John Smoltz/Brad Penny type supposed "low risk/high reward" signings. Like this year, with the Sox signing the immortal Boof Bonser, after all!
Of course, ticket prices are still going up during this transition time. Shocker!
Are the Sox already conceding the 2010 AL East division title to the Yankees? I think they are. As does Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy. He sharply criticized the Sox in a recent column, saying fans should "not buy the bill of goods the Red Sox are selling." He continued:
I’m not buying. The Sox have the dough to sign Matt Holliday or Jason Bay. Just like they had the money to bag Mark Teixeira last winter. But they keep getting beaten by the Yankees and then they cry about it.Absolutely. I thought about that Schilling deal the other day, and how Sox fans I knew then tried to claim that Boston gave up a lot in that trade in Casey Fossum and Brandon Lyon. Please.
Stop. It’s hideous of the Sox and their fans to complain about the Yankees buying championships. Sure, the Yanks can afford Teixeira, CC Sabathia, and A.J. Burnett, just like the Sox were able to afford Matsuzaka and Drew. The Sox got Curt Schilling and Victor Martinez the same way the Yankees got Curtis Granderson this week. The Sox are not the Pirates. They are not the Brewers or the A’s. The Sox are Haves, not Have-Nots. Like the Yankees, the Sox are happy to raid the rosters of teams that can’t afford high-priced talent.
Shaughnessy also writes:
It’s nice that Theo has a passion for player development, but asking fans to take a year off is outrageous. Henry is a billionaire and the Sox are making bundles of money. If you don’t believe that, call their partners at Ace Ticket and try to score a few tickets.Agreed. John Henry is worth a lot more money than George Steinbrenner is. Why are they holding the purse strings tight with one hand, and raising ticket prices with the other?
One other thing I also read at the Boston Globe this week was about how Theo opposed the Josh Beckett/Mike Lowell for Hanley Ramirez trade, made in his brief absence from the team in 2005. That makes no sense to me. Yes, the Sox gave up a future superstar in Ramirez. But they also won the 2007 World Series thanks to Beckett and Lowell. That seems like a pretty fair tradeoff.
Let's take a quick look at some of the 2010 Red Sox payroll obligations. Right now, they've committed to pay Texas nine million to take Mike Lowell off their hands, assuming the trade goes through. They're also paying nine million for Julio Lugo not to play for them. They'll be paying $14 million for J.D. Drew - a heck of a bigger injury risk than Jason Bay - to play right field; that is, when he isn't taking his weekly day off. They're paying $12.5 million to David Ortiz - which looked like a great deal at the time - to be their DH. Dice-K (or is that Dice-BB, as my friend William calls him?) may actually show up to spring training in shape this time around to earn his $8 million this year. And don't forget that captain Jason Varitek will be getting $5 million as a lifetime achievement award for 2010.
Yes, yes, I know the Yankees have ridiculous contracts as well. (Kei Igawa, anyone?) My point is that Theo Epstein, for all his brilliance, has made a bunch of bad deals that have cost his team. And that not many other teams could afford to essentially pay other teams to take on their players, the way Theo did with Manny Ramirez, Julio Lugo, and is trying to do with Mike Lowell. So sorry, I'm not going to feel too bad for the Red Sox's payroll obligations. If they're having to pinch pennies now, it's because of bad decisions by Epstein, not because of the Yankees' dominance.
Of course, now that I've written this article, watch the Sox sign John Lackey, Matt Holliday, Adrian Beltre, and some other high-priced free agents this afternoon, just to prove this all irrelevant!
But what do our Sox fan readers think? Tell us about it!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Are the Boston Red Sox overrated?
Hope all of our readers had a happy Thanksgiving. I enjoyed seeing my Texas Longhorns hold on to beat Texas A & M, and continue their undefeated season.
Not much going on in the baseball world right now, other than the retirement of Yankee announcer Bob Sheppard. And this tidbit: New York Post sports columnist Kevin Kernan stirred up a hornet's nest when he included the Boston Red Sox in his list of the most overrated teams in sports (Hat tip: Baseball Think Factory and Can't Stop the Bleeding for alerting me to this story.) Kernan ranked the Sox at No. 10, writing:
* Boston didn't win "only two championships over the last billion years"; they've won seven championships, which ranks them fourth in MLB after the Yankees, Cardinals, and Athletics. That number is nothing to sneeze at, especially given that they went 86 years without winning it all.
* You can't say that a team that has won two of the last six World Series played, with the last title coming just two years ago, is overrated. Annoying and insufferable, yes. Overrated, no.
* And you can't say that a team that made the playoffs twice since trading Manny Ramirez in July 2008 has "gone nowhere since he left." While they stumbled a lot this year and got swept by the Angels in the playoffs, they still won 95 games in the toughest division in baseball without Ramirez. Calling them "a model franchise for stat geeks" for doing so doesn't even make any sense.
* "Without Manny they would have missed out," Kernan writes. "That's all I'm saying." I agree. Without Ramirez, Boston would never have won in 2004 and 2007. But you could say the same thing about Mickey Mantle with the 1950s Yankees, Reggie Jackson with the 1977-78 Yanks, Mariano Rivera or Derek Jeter with the late '90s Bombers, and Alex Rodriguez with the 2009 Yankees. What's the point, exactly, of noting this?
* If Kernan is implying, with the "beefed up Manny" description, that steroids were the reason the Sox won those years, then he should just come out and say it. It's a fair point. But Kernan ought to be prepared for people to note that the Yankees had nine players from the 2000 Yankees listed in the Mitchell Report.
* The rest of Kernan's list also leaves something to be desired. He did the list twice, moving up Notre Dame and adding the New York Rangers, and ended up with eleven teams:
Okay, I'm done arguing this. I have to go take some Pepto-Bismol, as I'm sick to my stomach after defending the Red Sox on something. Then I'm going to lie down and think happy thoughts!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Not much going on in the baseball world right now, other than the retirement of Yankee announcer Bob Sheppard. And this tidbit: New York Post sports columnist Kevin Kernan stirred up a hornet's nest when he included the Boston Red Sox in his list of the most overrated teams in sports (Hat tip: Baseball Think Factory and Can't Stop the Bleeding for alerting me to this story.) Kernan ranked the Sox at No. 10, writing:
Model franchise for stat geeks, but seems they can’t win a World Series without Manny.Red Sox Nation wasn't exactly pleased with their team being on this list. So, when called on it, Kernan explained himself further in his "Where's Kernan" blog:
They have only two championships over the last billion years, and both came with Manny on the team. They’ve gone nowhere since he left, yet through the ages, trillions of books and postings and articles and twitters and Bill James’ ravings have been written about the brilliance of the Red Sox. It was a beefed up Manny that made the difference for that team that finally enabled them to win some championships. Without Manny they would have missed out. That's all I'm saying.Yuck. I'm going to have to defend the Red Sox here, even though it's painful to do so. Somebody pass me some Tums, please. Here I go:
* Boston didn't win "only two championships over the last billion years"; they've won seven championships, which ranks them fourth in MLB after the Yankees, Cardinals, and Athletics. That number is nothing to sneeze at, especially given that they went 86 years without winning it all.
* You can't say that a team that has won two of the last six World Series played, with the last title coming just two years ago, is overrated. Annoying and insufferable, yes. Overrated, no.
* And you can't say that a team that made the playoffs twice since trading Manny Ramirez in July 2008 has "gone nowhere since he left." While they stumbled a lot this year and got swept by the Angels in the playoffs, they still won 95 games in the toughest division in baseball without Ramirez. Calling them "a model franchise for stat geeks" for doing so doesn't even make any sense.
* "Without Manny they would have missed out," Kernan writes. "That's all I'm saying." I agree. Without Ramirez, Boston would never have won in 2004 and 2007. But you could say the same thing about Mickey Mantle with the 1950s Yankees, Reggie Jackson with the 1977-78 Yanks, Mariano Rivera or Derek Jeter with the late '90s Bombers, and Alex Rodriguez with the 2009 Yankees. What's the point, exactly, of noting this?
* If Kernan is implying, with the "beefed up Manny" description, that steroids were the reason the Sox won those years, then he should just come out and say it. It's a fair point. But Kernan ought to be prepared for people to note that the Yankees had nine players from the 2000 Yankees listed in the Mitchell Report.
* The rest of Kernan's list also leaves something to be desired. He did the list twice, moving up Notre Dame and adding the New York Rangers, and ended up with eleven teams:
1. Dallas CowboysAfter reading this list, I have to wonder how Kernan defines the word "overrated." Because who the heck is overrating the likes of the LA Clippers and the Detroit Lions, to name just two examples? Or the Knicks? Those are all really bad teams that nobody expects anything out of. They're not overrated; just awful.
2. Notre Dame Football
3. New York Knicks
4. New York Mets
5. Cleveland Indians
6. LA Clippers
7. Montreal Canadiens
8. Detroit Lions
9. Oakland Raiders
10. Boston Red Sox
11. New York Rangers
Okay, I'm done arguing this. I have to go take some Pepto-Bismol, as I'm sick to my stomach after defending the Red Sox on something. Then I'm going to lie down and think happy thoughts!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Phil Hughes and Alex Rodriguez sparkle on Memorial Day
One of the good signs for the Yankees' current hot streak is that they're playing tough against good teams. As my Rangers' fan nephew has been telling me all season, the Rangers actually have a pretty decent team this year. Which made yesterday's 11-1 victory even more impressive.
Since it was Memorial Day, the Yanks and Rangers were both wearing those red hats to honor the troops. I appreciate the sentiment - especially since my brother just went back to Iraq for his third tour over there - but it still kind of confused me a little to see the Yankees wearing red, especially when red is a primary color in the Rangers' uniform!
Phil Hughes seems to have stepped up his game since it looked like he was about to have his last start in the rotation. Giving up zero runs and only three hits over eight innings in that bandbox of a ballpark is phenomenal, especially when Alex Rodriguez single-handedly had five hits of his own for the Yanks. And Hughes wanted to complete the game, so he didn't want to shake Joe Girardi's hand after the eighth inning.
Anyhow, it was good to see a blowout, after two nailbiter games in a row. Hopefully, the Yanks will beat up on the Rangers again today.
One other note - I was glad to hear that University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy threw a decent first pitch before the game. If he hadn't, Squawker Jon would mock me forever about my alma mater's QB not being able to throw!
In other news, I read that Jonathan Papelbon threw a hissy fit - and a towel - Saturday when a photographer took a photo of him in the dugout after the reliever gave up that homer to Omir Santos. (Click here to see him throwing the towel.) What a baby.
If Papelbon wants to be left alone, maybe he could change places with former Red Sox closer Keith Foulke, who is trying to make a comeback with the Newark Bears. Foulke griped a lot, too, about being in the media fishbowl. But he's now so eager to come back to the majors that he says he'd "even play for the Yankees"!
Hmmm, now that Brian Bruney is on the DL for the second time, could I see Brian Cashman taking a flyer on Foulke? Absolutely. I hope he doesn't, though - the last thing the Yanks need is a pitcher who hates baseball!
What do you think? Leave us a comment!
Since it was Memorial Day, the Yanks and Rangers were both wearing those red hats to honor the troops. I appreciate the sentiment - especially since my brother just went back to Iraq for his third tour over there - but it still kind of confused me a little to see the Yankees wearing red, especially when red is a primary color in the Rangers' uniform!
Phil Hughes seems to have stepped up his game since it looked like he was about to have his last start in the rotation. Giving up zero runs and only three hits over eight innings in that bandbox of a ballpark is phenomenal, especially when Alex Rodriguez single-handedly had five hits of his own for the Yanks. And Hughes wanted to complete the game, so he didn't want to shake Joe Girardi's hand after the eighth inning.
Anyhow, it was good to see a blowout, after two nailbiter games in a row. Hopefully, the Yanks will beat up on the Rangers again today.
One other note - I was glad to hear that University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy threw a decent first pitch before the game. If he hadn't, Squawker Jon would mock me forever about my alma mater's QB not being able to throw!
* * *
In other news, I read that Jonathan Papelbon threw a hissy fit - and a towel - Saturday when a photographer took a photo of him in the dugout after the reliever gave up that homer to Omir Santos. (Click here to see him throwing the towel.) What a baby.
If Papelbon wants to be left alone, maybe he could change places with former Red Sox closer Keith Foulke, who is trying to make a comeback with the Newark Bears. Foulke griped a lot, too, about being in the media fishbowl. But he's now so eager to come back to the majors that he says he'd "even play for the Yankees"!
Hmmm, now that Brian Bruney is on the DL for the second time, could I see Brian Cashman taking a flyer on Foulke? Absolutely. I hope he doesn't, though - the last thing the Yanks need is a pitcher who hates baseball!
What do you think? Leave us a comment!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Thoughts on yesterday's Yankee loss, and why I feel sorry for David Ortiz
I guess I should be bummed out that the Yanks couldn't get the job done in extra innings yesterday, but I'm not all that upset over the loss. It's hard to complain too much when the Yanks went 8-2 in this homestand. And at least CC Sabathia continued to pitch well.
However, the fact that the Red Sox only won one of three this weekend, and still slid into first place, does tick me off. And it's funny that my predictions for both series ended up being more accurate for the Mets than the Yankees!
Speaking of Boston, I do feel sorry for the woeful David Ortiz, even though I strongly suspect - thanks in no small part to him hiring Angel Presinal as a trainer - that he's gotten some "help" in the past. The once-proud, ebullient player looks like a broken man. That's how pathetic Ortiz has been at the plate - even Yankee fans feel bad for him!
I see that there's talk about moving Big Papi, who bats third in the lineup, further down in the lineup. Sounds like hitting coach Dave Magadan and manager Terry Francona are going to talk about it, and consult Ortiz. You mean you actually inform your team's superstar that you're going to move him down in the lineup? I thought the standard - and "classy" - thing was to move your struggling star to eighth in the lineup, and not tell him about it beforehand. And then gripe when reporters ask you about it.
When I was growing up, I heard from my brothers about how sad it was when Willie Mays was stumbling around the outfield in the 1973 World Series. But Mays was 42 then. Ortiz is only 33.
Is Ortiz's career over? I don't want to say yes, but his slump has been going on since last season. When Brett Gardner has more homers than Ortiz, that isn't a good sign.
Now I'm going to throw a gratuitous Jonathan Papelbon slam out there. In addition to him throwing a fit when he didn't like an ump's call in Saturday's game, I saw this pic on Sliding Into Home, where Pap's vacant stare seems to suggest he's aiming to replace Spencer Pratt on "The Hills." Yeah, I went there.
What do you think? Leave us a comment!
However, the fact that the Red Sox only won one of three this weekend, and still slid into first place, does tick me off. And it's funny that my predictions for both series ended up being more accurate for the Mets than the Yankees!
Speaking of Boston, I do feel sorry for the woeful David Ortiz, even though I strongly suspect - thanks in no small part to him hiring Angel Presinal as a trainer - that he's gotten some "help" in the past. The once-proud, ebullient player looks like a broken man. That's how pathetic Ortiz has been at the plate - even Yankee fans feel bad for him!
I see that there's talk about moving Big Papi, who bats third in the lineup, further down in the lineup. Sounds like hitting coach Dave Magadan and manager Terry Francona are going to talk about it, and consult Ortiz. You mean you actually inform your team's superstar that you're going to move him down in the lineup? I thought the standard - and "classy" - thing was to move your struggling star to eighth in the lineup, and not tell him about it beforehand. And then gripe when reporters ask you about it.
When I was growing up, I heard from my brothers about how sad it was when Willie Mays was stumbling around the outfield in the 1973 World Series. But Mays was 42 then. Ortiz is only 33.
Is Ortiz's career over? I don't want to say yes, but his slump has been going on since last season. When Brett Gardner has more homers than Ortiz, that isn't a good sign.
Now I'm going to throw a gratuitous Jonathan Papelbon slam out there. In addition to him throwing a fit when he didn't like an ump's call in Saturday's game, I saw this pic on Sliding Into Home, where Pap's vacant stare seems to suggest he's aiming to replace Spencer Pratt on "The Hills." Yeah, I went there.
What do you think? Leave us a comment!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Let's go Mets! Jonathan Papelbon cries as Omir Santos (!) hits one off him
For once, Squawker Jon and I are united in our baseball fandom this weekend. And we were both equally thrilled - and surprised - to see the Mets beat Jonathan Papelbon and the Red Sox last night.
It was soooo enjoyable to see Papelbon's dopey facial expressions after he gave up that homer to Omir Santos, both before and after that play was ruled to be a homer.
And how about Keith Hernandez saying on the air that Papelbon should go ride the pine after the pitcher ran out of the dugout to make a scene about griped a call in the bottom of the ninth! (NY Sports Dog has a clip of Papelbon's temper tantrum here. Classic!) What a drama king Papelbon is.
Between Papelbon making a fool of himself yesterday, and Kevin Youkilis making a fool of himself against Johan Santana in Friday's game, Mets fans got to see a little of what we Yankee fans have to deal with for 19 games a year. (No, I'm not buying that Youk was just joking when he griped after being hit by that pitch.) And Boston fans think Joba Chamberlain is over the top? Look at the drama kings on the Sox!
Arguably, yesterday's Mets win was more of a miracle than the Yankees' walkoff win vs. the Phillies. In my predictions for this weekend, I called the game a tossup. After a pitcher's duel that Mike Pelfrey was about to lose against Josh Beckett, to see the Mets' third-string catcher go deep against Papelbon was pretty amazing.
And, as Squawker Jon noted, the Mets' stellar defensive plays in the bottom of the ninth were pretty unexpected as well. Not to mention that the Mets won without their closer, Francisco Rodriguez, who was doubled over in pain with back spasms. The Yankees had an exciting walkoff win, to be sure, but even I can see that what the Mets did was even more stunning than the Yankees' victory.
Anyhow, it was a great day for New York baseball. And a rare day for Subway Squawkers, in that Jon and I were rooting for the same teams. Let's keep it up today!
What did you think of the Mets-Red Sox game? Leave us a comment!
It was soooo enjoyable to see Papelbon's dopey facial expressions after he gave up that homer to Omir Santos, both before and after that play was ruled to be a homer.
And how about Keith Hernandez saying on the air that Papelbon should go ride the pine after the pitcher ran out of the dugout to make a scene about griped a call in the bottom of the ninth! (NY Sports Dog has a clip of Papelbon's temper tantrum here. Classic!) What a drama king Papelbon is.
Between Papelbon making a fool of himself yesterday, and Kevin Youkilis making a fool of himself against Johan Santana in Friday's game, Mets fans got to see a little of what we Yankee fans have to deal with for 19 games a year. (No, I'm not buying that Youk was just joking when he griped after being hit by that pitch.) And Boston fans think Joba Chamberlain is over the top? Look at the drama kings on the Sox!
Arguably, yesterday's Mets win was more of a miracle than the Yankees' walkoff win vs. the Phillies. In my predictions for this weekend, I called the game a tossup. After a pitcher's duel that Mike Pelfrey was about to lose against Josh Beckett, to see the Mets' third-string catcher go deep against Papelbon was pretty amazing.
And, as Squawker Jon noted, the Mets' stellar defensive plays in the bottom of the ninth were pretty unexpected as well. Not to mention that the Mets won without their closer, Francisco Rodriguez, who was doubled over in pain with back spasms. The Yankees had an exciting walkoff win, to be sure, but even I can see that what the Mets did was even more stunning than the Yankees' victory.
Anyhow, it was a great day for New York baseball. And a rare day for Subway Squawkers, in that Jon and I were rooting for the same teams. Let's keep it up today!
What did you think of the Mets-Red Sox game? Leave us a comment!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Yankees may have lost, but at least Johan Santana gave Kevin Youkilis the what-for
Yes, Squawker Jon, I know my Yankees didn't hold up their share of the Yankees-Mets alliance this weekend, and your team did. Sorry about that. But give me this - I had more faith in your Mets than you did. I predicted that your team would win last night, and thought they had a 50/50 chance to win the series. You, on the other hand, figured the Sox would sweep the Mets!
Too bad my Yankees prediction - that they would continue their winning streak Friday - didn't come true. And I kind of figured that early in last night - make that very early in last night. After Jimmy ("The Team to Beat") Rollins hit a homer off A.J. Burnett's very first pitch of the night, I didn't expect the evening to end well.
I do like Rollins an awful lot, though. In addition to his skills as a ballplayer, he's got a great personality, he's not afraid to speak his mind, and he loves to make predictions:
Did notice how Burnett hit Chase Utley and the homer, and then Brett Myers hit Derek Jeter. Aside from all the fans wearing Phillies red in the Stadium seats, what struck me was how intense the game was, even with two teams that don't have any sort of rivalry.
And it's a funny thing - it's not so enjoyable to see all those home runs when it's the other team hitting them! Everybody talks about right field being a homer haven, but what disturbs me more is how many balls get hit to center. How many balls got hit into the black in the old ballpark - maybe 25 in 30+ years? And how many got hit in the area in front of that? Not many. Seems like a lot this year.
Hmmm, maybe the Mohegan Sun Sports Bar is the problem. Wouldn't that be a kick in the head, if it turns out that building that monstrosity is the cause of all the homers?
Anyhow, it was a rough night - when Chien-Ming Wang only giving up six hits and two runs in three innings is considered progess, that's not a good thing. And I expect a loss today, because it's a pitcher - J.A. Happ - that the Yanks have never seen.
At least there was one great highlight of the night that literally had me cheering. Too bad it came in the Mets-Red Sox game. When Kevin Youkilis got hit by one of Johan Santana's pitches - it looked like an accident to me - Youk did his usual yippy "Don't you know I am" thing. Then Santana looked like he told Youkilis to go drink a nice steaming cup of "Shut the bleep up"! Good stuff. I've watched the clip three times already!
What did you think of last night's games? Leave us a comment!
Too bad my Yankees prediction - that they would continue their winning streak Friday - didn't come true. And I kind of figured that early in last night - make that very early in last night. After Jimmy ("The Team to Beat") Rollins hit a homer off A.J. Burnett's very first pitch of the night, I didn't expect the evening to end well.
I do like Rollins an awful lot, though. In addition to his skills as a ballplayer, he's got a great personality, he's not afraid to speak his mind, and he loves to make predictions:
Unfortunately, his prediction, unlike mine, actually came true!Rollins, who hit his 29th leadoff homer, envisioned leading off on Thursday.
"I kind of said it would nice to do, first time at Yankee Stadium, my first swing, you know, be a home run. I prayed on it. Prayers get answered," he said.
Did notice how Burnett hit Chase Utley and the homer, and then Brett Myers hit Derek Jeter. Aside from all the fans wearing Phillies red in the Stadium seats, what struck me was how intense the game was, even with two teams that don't have any sort of rivalry.
And it's a funny thing - it's not so enjoyable to see all those home runs when it's the other team hitting them! Everybody talks about right field being a homer haven, but what disturbs me more is how many balls get hit to center. How many balls got hit into the black in the old ballpark - maybe 25 in 30+ years? And how many got hit in the area in front of that? Not many. Seems like a lot this year.
Hmmm, maybe the Mohegan Sun Sports Bar is the problem. Wouldn't that be a kick in the head, if it turns out that building that monstrosity is the cause of all the homers?
Anyhow, it was a rough night - when Chien-Ming Wang only giving up six hits and two runs in three innings is considered progess, that's not a good thing. And I expect a loss today, because it's a pitcher - J.A. Happ - that the Yanks have never seen.
At least there was one great highlight of the night that literally had me cheering. Too bad it came in the Mets-Red Sox game. When Kevin Youkilis got hit by one of Johan Santana's pitches - it looked like an accident to me - Youk did his usual yippy "Don't you know I am" thing. Then Santana looked like he told Youkilis to go drink a nice steaming cup of "Shut the bleep up"! Good stuff. I've watched the clip three times already!
What did you think of last night's games? Leave us a comment!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Oh Manny! Some songs which sum up Manny Ramirez
In response to Manny Ramirez's 50-game suspension, mobile music site mSpot.com sent Subway Squawkers a list of five ringtones that sum up the the Manny mess. Their site lets you edit your own ringtones to the part of the song you want, so mSpot picked the most applicable lyrics for each ringtone choice.
Anyhow, I can't resist posting this list, and adding a few of my own:
1. Stars Are Blind (Paris Hilton): “…some people never get beyond their stupid pride…”
2. Before you Accuse Me (Eric Clapton): “Before you accuse me take a look at yourself…”
3. Rehab (Amy Winehouse): “When I come back you’ll know, know, know…”
4. Blame It (Jamie Foxx feat. T Pain): “I ain’t sayin what you won’t do but you know what we’re probably gonna do…”
5. Wasn't Me - Shaggy: “Never admit to a word…”
I have a few other suggestions of my own for Manny's ringtone, focused on the fact that he took the female fertility drug human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG):
Anyhow, I can't resist posting this list, and adding a few of my own:
1. Stars Are Blind (Paris Hilton): “…some people never get beyond their stupid pride…”
2. Before you Accuse Me (Eric Clapton): “Before you accuse me take a look at yourself…”
3. Rehab (Amy Winehouse): “When I come back you’ll know, know, know…”
4. Blame It (Jamie Foxx feat. T Pain): “I ain’t sayin what you won’t do but you know what we’re probably gonna do…”
5. Wasn't Me - Shaggy: “Never admit to a word…”
I have a few other suggestions of my own for Manny's ringtone, focused on the fact that he took the female fertility drug human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG):
- "Man, I Feel Like a Woman": Shania Twain
- "Mother's Little Helper": The Rolling Stones
- "Having My Baby": Paul Anka
Yankee fan must root for Mets and against Phillies
It shouldn't exactly be a surprise that I'm rooting for the Mets over the Red Sox this weekend. Talk about a no-brainer! I didn't even root for the Red Sox in the 1986 World Series. So why would I cheer for the Red Sox over the Mets just because the Mets are our crosstown rivals? It makes no sense.
Anyhow, it's weird that Squawker Jon and I are on the same side for once, with me cheering for the Mets, and him rooting for the Yankees. It just seems all so strange for Jon and I to cheer for the same teams, though. My blogging partner is the guy who has rooted for USC, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and even TCU's Horned Frogs just because all those teams faced my Texas Longhorns in college football.
So my rooting decision is much easier for me than it is for him. Squawker reader Uncle Mike aside, most Yankee fans don't hate the Mets the way the Met fans despise the Yankees. They just don't.
Meanwhle, way too many Met fans, including my partner in Squawking, root for the Red Sox just because of their rivalry with Yankees. It's that whole Little Brother Syndrome thing. You'd never see Bomber fans expending the psychic energy to root for the Phillies and the Braves, just because they're against the Mets.
In 2004, it was ridiculous how many Met fans called up WFAN to celebrate the ALCS. What were the Mets fans cheering about? Their team finished 71-91 that year!
Anyhow, I will make my predictions for this weekend in a moment, but I just want to say a few word's about last night's ninth victory in a row. I was at dinner for most of the game, so while I did get to see Joba Chamberlain get knocked out of the game - literally, I missed much of the rest of it. Kudos to Alfredo Aceves for stepping in and pitching so well in Joba's place.
Incidentally, is Adam Jones the Yankee-killer or what? Johnny Damon hurt his back Wednesday night going after Jones' home run ball? And now Jones hits Joba in the knee. I guess the Orioles have their new Kevin Millar!
Nine in a row is impressive, but the Yanks face a big test of the year so far with their three games against the team to beat this weekend, the 2008 World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. Here's how I think the games will go:
Friday: Brett Myers vs. A.J. Burnett. I know A.J. hasn't won in over a month, and his ERA is terrible, but he's really pitched better than his numbers indicate. I think the power of the pie will work in his favor tonight, with him being the victim of a pieing when he's talking to Kim Jones tonight. Edge: Yankees.
Saturday: J.A. Happ vs. Andy Pettitte. I think this is a game the Yankees will lose, for two reasons. While Burnett is better than his numbers indicate, Pettitte has pitched worse than his overall numbers (4-1 with a 4.18 ERA) indicate. And when Andy gets hit, he gets hit hard. Throw in J.A. Happ, a starter the Yankees have never seen, and you have the recipe for a Yankees loss. Edge: Phillies
Sunday: Cole Hamels vs. CC Sabathia. Battle of the aces. I think this game will be a pitcher's duel, but I give the edge to Sabathia. Just a hunch. Edge: Yankees
As for the Mets/Red Sox series at Fenway Park, here are my predictions:
Friday: Johan Santana vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka. This is a great matchup, and something I would watch if there weren't a Yankees-Phillies game on at the same time. Dice-K is making his first start since coming off the DL. I give Santana the edge, but the Mets need to score some runs for him for a change. Edge: Mets
Saturday: Mike Pelfrey vs. Josh Beckett. Surpisingly, Pelfrey's having a slightly better year than Beckett. Pelfrey is 4-1, with a 4.61 ERA, while Beckett is 4-2, 5.85. This is a tossup for me, though. I could see either team winning. Edge: Neither
Sunday: Tim Redding vs. Tim Wakefield. I still remember Redding's disastrous outing in Fenway Park with the 2005 Yankees (the game where Trot Nixon hit an inside-the-park home run after Melky Cabrera messed up the play.) The Yanks ended up losing that game, 17-1. Because of that game, I give the edge to Tim Wakefield in this battle of the Tims. Edge: Red Sox
But what do our readers think? What are your predictions and rooting interests for this weekend? Tell us about it!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Met fan must root for Yankees and against Red Sox
It's been a miserable week. The Mets have lost four in a row with only six runs scored. Carlos Delgado undergoes surgery and is out at least two months. Jose Reyes is hurt and who knows when he will be 100%. Alex Cora fills in ably for Reyes, only to tear ligaments in his thumb. The Mets commit five errors in one game and conjure up memories of 1962. And one of the team's few bright spots, Carlos Beltran, is maligned on national TV by a buffoon.
Now this bad week is about to get even worse. This weekend, I will find myself rooting for the Yankees and against the Red Sox. I generally root for the Red Sox in the American League, though it seems that many Red Sox fans lump the Mets in with things from New York that they do not like. And they probably wouldn't enjoy SNY's celebration of all things 1986.
But Red Sox fans have celebrated two titles since the Mets last won. And when I think of Mets-Red Sox, I think of the massacre of 2006 and the downfall of Pedro Martinez, who returned triumphantly to Fenway with a 7-4 record and a 3.01 ERA, only to give up eight runs (six earned) in three innings. We didn't know it at the time, but after only a year and a half with the Mets, it was the beginning of the end for Pedro.
The Yankee series figures to be a nightmare either way. If the Phillies win, the Mets fall further behind. (I'm conceding the series at Fenway - I just hope the Mets don't get swept as in '06. Go Johan!)
If the Yankees win, we'll probably hear Jimmy Rollins, who, in the June issue of Playboy, predicted a Phillies-Yankees World Series, praise the Yankees as the only good thing to come out of New York, while Cole Hamel calls them the New York team that can make it to the Fall Classic without choking.
If the Yankees celebrate after the game with a pie in the face of the player who gets the game-winning hit, Shane Victorino will probably praise the celebration as tasteful and ask for the recipe for the pie.
Met fans, will you root for the Yankees against the Phillies? Yankee fans, will you root for the Mets against the Red Sox?
Monday, May 18, 2009
Win a trip to the World Series from Krylon
Quick note: Krylon, the paint company, is sponsoring a contest where fans can win a trip to the this year's World Series. Whether you're a Yankee, Met, or Red Sox fan, or root for one of baseball's other teams, you are welcome to enter the contest - go to Save Our Saturdays for details.
Each month, the Save Our Saturdays site will ask you a sports-related question related to upcoming events. Answer the question, and get an entry to the contest. If your answer is correct, you get five additional entries. And you get another five entries for agreeing to be added to their mailing list.
Here are the details for what you can win from Krylon:
Each month, the Save Our Saturdays site will ask you a sports-related question related to upcoming events. Answer the question, and get an entry to the contest. If your answer is correct, you get five additional entries. And you get another five entries for agreeing to be added to their mailing list.
Here are the details for what you can win from Krylon:
The Grand Prize winner will receive a prize package consisting of the following: Two tickets in the lower level outside of the bases to the 2009 Baseball's Fall Series, a round-trip coach air transportation for winner and winner’s guest, including airport transfers to hotel and hotel accommodations for two consecutive nights. Approximate retail value of the Grand Prize package: US $6,200.
The First and Second Grand Prize winners will receive a 42” or larger big screen TV, approximate retail value of US $1,000 each.
Ten monthly winners, for the duration of six months, will be awarded a $25 gift card to a specific retailer or an American Express gift card. Monthly winners in May will receive a $25 ACE gift card.Total retail value of monthly prizes is US $1,500.
Go to Save Our Saturdays monthly from now through September 30 to enter the contest.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Mets vs. Red Sox? Oy!
As Squawker Jon noted last week, we are going to Taxpayer Bailout Field - err, I mean Citi Field - on Saturday, April 4 to see the Mets vs. the Red Sox in an exhibition game.
This game is a huge dilemma for me, and it's not that Jon has forbidden me from wearing Yankee gear to the game (as if I'm going to listen to him!) And that I'm liable to hear "Yankees bleep" before the first pitch is even thrown. I would expect nothing less.
No, my dilemma is about which team I should root for - or root against - more - the Mets or the Red Sox.
Despite their enmity in 1986, the two teams - and their fanbases - have a lot in common besides hating the Yankees and their fans, and having Pedro Martinez pitch for each of them. They also have no use for Roger Clemens (come to think of it, that's something Yankee fans also have in common with Mets and Sox fans!)
The Mets and Sox each have annoying players, like Jose Reyes and Jonathan Papelbon. They also have mascots - Mr. Met and Wally the Green Monster - which many Yankee fans also find annoying (not me, though! I'm a little jealous that the Yanks never had a successful mascot - Dandy was an unmitigated disaster.)
There's also the little brother syndrome each team is afflicted with, where everything they do is viewed through the prism of Big Brother Yankees. (Squawker Jon would agree with me calling Yankees Big Brother, as in "1984"!)
In 1986, I was thrilled to see the Mets beat the Red Sox in the World Series. But I'm not sure what I should do during next month's game. Sit on my hands and stay neutral, like Switzerland? Boo both teams equally? Cheer the Mets, even though it means that Jon and I will be on the same side for once, which seems like that will violate some space-time continuum thingy? (Note - cheering for the Red Sox is not an option. Some lines just can never be crossed.)
Who should I root for - or against? Leave us a comment!
This game is a huge dilemma for me, and it's not that Jon has forbidden me from wearing Yankee gear to the game (as if I'm going to listen to him!) And that I'm liable to hear "Yankees bleep" before the first pitch is even thrown. I would expect nothing less.
No, my dilemma is about which team I should root for - or root against - more - the Mets or the Red Sox.
Despite their enmity in 1986, the two teams - and their fanbases - have a lot in common besides hating the Yankees and their fans, and having Pedro Martinez pitch for each of them. They also have no use for Roger Clemens (come to think of it, that's something Yankee fans also have in common with Mets and Sox fans!)
The Mets and Sox each have annoying players, like Jose Reyes and Jonathan Papelbon. They also have mascots - Mr. Met and Wally the Green Monster - which many Yankee fans also find annoying (not me, though! I'm a little jealous that the Yanks never had a successful mascot - Dandy was an unmitigated disaster.)
There's also the little brother syndrome each team is afflicted with, where everything they do is viewed through the prism of Big Brother Yankees. (Squawker Jon would agree with me calling Yankees Big Brother, as in "1984"!)
In 1986, I was thrilled to see the Mets beat the Red Sox in the World Series. But I'm not sure what I should do during next month's game. Sit on my hands and stay neutral, like Switzerland? Boo both teams equally? Cheer the Mets, even though it means that Jon and I will be on the same side for once, which seems like that will violate some space-time continuum thingy? (Note - cheering for the Red Sox is not an option. Some lines just can never be crossed.)
Who should I root for - or against? Leave us a comment!
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