Never change, Papelbon

I was so caught up with the trade deadline yesterday that I neglected to share one of my favorite anecdotes so far. It concerns perhaps the most quirky former Red Sox out there, a pitcher who once told Amalie Benjamin to "put the fact that he's a sheriff in Mississippi into a story."

Of course, I'm talking about former closer Jonathan Papelbon, Lord Cinco Ocho himself. The man Manny Delcarmen described as the strangest he's ever shared a bullpen with. Even though I knew the Phillies were in Washington for a four game set, it totally slipped my mind that Paps would be in town.

Which is why it took me a moment to realize that the player who poked fun at the camera setup Julianne and I were using yesterday on the field was the same man who once danced around Fenway Park with a beer box on his head.

We were shooting a pre-game standup regarding the Nationals trade deadline activity, and I wanted to frame up the shot with the field and the scoreboard in the background. Because neither Julianne nor I are particularly tall, we achieved this by having her stand on the camera case.

Halfway through the first take, we heard a voice drawl, "I've never seen anything like that before." I turned around, and out of the dugout behind me emerged Jonathan Papelbon, gesturing at the case under Jules' feet.

He chuckled and added that it might be easier if we were taller, and before we could formulate any kind of reasonable response, he was walking away for team stretching.

I've been able to mostly shed the baseball fan inside of me when I'm working, but after that interaction I indulged in a moment of reflection. If seventeen-year-old me had ever anticipated something like that, as casual as it was, I would have freaked out. 

Five weeks into covering every Nationals home game, the thrill of interacting with major league ballplayers has become all but mundane - but I spared a grin for Papelbon, if only for nostalgia's sake.

McCann to the Yankees

The free agent market for catchers is dwindling, which is probably good news for anyone who's hoping to see Jarrod Saltalamacchia back behind the plate at Fenway Park next season.

Source

Earlier this week, Carlos Ruiz signed back with the Phillies, agreeing to a three-year, $26 million deal. Yesterday, news broke that Brian McCann would be heading to the Bronx for five years and $85 million - with a vesting option for a sixth year and an additional $15 million dollars.

This could be a great signing for the Yankees. They didn't get very much production from their catchers in 2013 - though that particular problem was overlooked with all the drama and injuries surrounding the team all year.

Source

McCann's swing is an excellent fit for that short porch at Yankee Stadium. He managed to knock in twenty home runs in 2013, a year in which injuries limited him to 120 games. 

McCann has played in Atlanta for the entirety of his nine year career, and he's leaving just in time to miss the controversy following the announcement of the Braves new stadium.

To be honest, I'm glad the Yankees got McCann, especially given the time and money they've committed to him. The Red Sox never would have offered McCann five years: he's 30 years old and injury prone.

This signing should be great for New York - for about two years. Then I'll be surprised if McCann manages to catch even fifty games.

Two days, two saves for Papelbon

We watched Jonathan Papelbon close games for us for the better part of a decade in Boston. Better than any other team, the Red Sox know that it's difficult to get the big righty to blow a save opportunity. I certainly wouldn't go as far as saying that Paps is as bullet-proof as the great Mariano Rivera, but when you see him warming up in the opposing bullpen, it's a good bet that you won't be coming out of the game on top.

Tonight was no different (though the Sox kept things interesting), as the Phillies handed a 4-2 lead to Papelbon in the top of the ninth inning, and Paps delivered the save, despite walking Stephen Drew and opening the floodgates just a bit. David Ortiz pinch hit with one out and Drew on first, and flew out to right field before Jonny Gomes hit a single to put the tying run on base. Ellsbury then knocked a double down the left field line, scoring Drew and bringing Nava to the plate with the tying run just ninety feet away. Sadly for the Sox, and luckily for Papelbon, Nava grounded out to first base to end the inning and the game.

Hindsight being 20/20, an argument could certainly be made that letting Papelbon walk was one of the larger misteps made by Sox brass in recent years. Boston hasn't had a reliable (and reliably healthy) closer since we said goodbye to Papelbon, and in fact we've spent more money on the combined salaries of attempted replacements than Paps has made in two years in Philadelphia.

But pitchers' injuries are notoriously difficult to predict and prevent - especially when the pitcher in question, like Papelbon, relies heavily on velocity to make his pitches successful - and it's still very possible that the Phillies will turn out to have made an imprudent investment. If Paps has an unfortunate injury, the Red Sox look like geniuses for letting him walk and sparing themselves an expensive long term commitment. Obviously I wish nothing but the best for Paps going forward, with the exception of hoping for many blown saves against the Red Sox.

Sox fall to Phils

Despite the way the game ended, Ryan Dempster was excellent today. My mother, the casual Red Sox fan, remarked that his name looked like "dumpster" (I'm sure he's never heard that one before) - but he pitched as well as you could expect tonight, giving up just two runs in seven full innings.

Unsurprisingly, the Sox bats couldn't get anything going tonight against Phillies' starter Cliff Lee. Indeed, when I saw who they had going for them tonight, I mentally prepared myself for the disappointment of the conclusion of the four-game winning streak. I would like to once again go on record thanking the Phillies for signing Lee back in the 2010-2011 offseason. Everyone figured he'd go to the Rangers or the Yankees, but he surprised us all and went to Philadelphia. If Lee had made a different choice, we'd be suffering at his hands much more frequently.

With Lee and Dempster performing well, that was an impressively quick game. Certainly it helped that the Sox and the Phils scored just four runs between them, but both Dempster and Lee worked at a brisk pace. Indeed, the two starters are exactly what MLB was hoping for with its rules on pitching speed.

It was weird to see Jonathan Papelbon pitching at Fenway Park again. The former Red Sox closer got the save for the Phillies, indicing David Ortiz into grounding out into the shift to end the game. I'm not sure why the boos seemed to be so loud - I don't begrudge Paps for following the money to his current team. The Sox weren't prepared to show him the money he was looking for, and you could argue that we've paid for that bit of thrift with all the closer woes we've had since the departure of #58.

My apologies to Alfredo Aceves

I'd like to take this moment to offer a sincere apology to Alfredo Aceves. In yesterday's post, I insinuated that his performance in tonight's game would be inferior to the start that we were supposed to have from Clay Buchholz - and I stand by that assertion, as Clay has been phenomenal this season. However, I also suggested that Aceves would be unable to pitch the Red Sox to a win, and I couldn't have been more wrong.

Aceves scattered seven hits over six innings, allowing just a single run from the Phillies (a homer) and striking out four. Despite my disparaging remarks about the unpredictable Aceves, he pitched well and made some pretty good plays defensively, as well as one pretty egregious error. The Red Sox bats got to Phillies' starter Tyler Cloyd early and often, tagging the righthander for six runs in just two and a third innings, and getting deep into the bullpen.

The visiting Phillies needed six pitchers to get through the game, putting some serious strain on the bullpen in the very first game of the series. Despite the fact that this series is just two games long, the Red Sox will head to Philadelphia for another two-game set directly after this one, and it bodes well that the Phillies' bullpen has already been seriously tested.

The hazards of fatherhood

On the list of reasons why a pitcher can have his start skipped, sleeping wrong because of his infant daughter might simultaneously be one of the cutest and most infuriating. Apparently Clay Buchholz slept through the night cradling his young daughter in his arms after his last start, and it irritated his shoulder enough to warrant a skipped start tomorrow.

Needless to say, that's wicked cute. I don't even want kids, and I still find dads with babies to be adorable - and though I have a hard time reconciling what I see of Buchholz on the field with someone who dotes on a baby, it's at least reassuring that there aren't any long term structural issues to worry about.

But I am somewhat annoyed - I mean, who wants to watch the enigmatic Alfredo Aceves try to get us a win in the first interleague game of season when we should be watching Buchholz go for his eighth win? The only silver lining is that I'm in a dead heat with this week's fantasy baseball opponent, and he has Buchholz on his roster.

Since Phillies' starter Tyler Cloyd has a 2.70 ERA to Aceves 8.20, tomorrow's game might be a rough one. But that's the beauty of baseball: on any given day, any pitcher can beat any other pitcher, and any team can beat any other team - and the only way to know for sure is to watch.

2013 Bill James Projections - Daniel Nava

2012: 88 games, .243 BA, .352 OBP, .390 SLG, 6 HR, 33 RBI
2013 projection: 87 games, .266 BA, .367 OBP, .414 SLG, 6 HR, 35 RBI

After Daniel Nava's spectacular entrance into the bigs in 2010 (where he hit a grand slam on the first pitch he saw), he settled into being the kind of player we all anticipated: a serviceable and affable fourth or fifth outfielder.

Nava is currently second on the Red Sox depth chart in left field, just under Jonny Gomes, and he's played both left and right field in his time in Boston. He's about average with the bat and on defense, but certainly passable for a backup - and I've never heard a negative word about him, attitude-wise.

I have a somewhat personal attachment to Nava, as I was at his very first major league game. It was an interleague contest against the Phillies, and I had cheap bleacher seats. It was raining hard enough that my friend and I discussed moving to better seats that had been abandoned by fans looking to stay dry, when Nava came to bat with the bases loaded, and promptly deposited the very first pitch just about a dozen rows below us.

We had previously been surrounded by Phillies fans who were, to put it lightly, intoxicated and boisterous, and the grand slam from Nava shut them right up.  My friend and I were soaked to the skin, and had a long drive back to New Hampshire ahead of us, so we bought some dry (and overpriced) clothing from the Red Sox Team Store, as a permanent souvenir of a great game.

I'm always happy to see Nava on the roster (even when it means that a better player couldn't be had). He came up for the first time when the Red Sox were still considered an elite team, and I'm hoping that they get back to that place while he's still hanging around.

The World According to Paps

Jonathan Papelbon has never been the most tactful or thoughtful of baseball players:

He is, after all, the man who once asked Boston Globe Red Sox beat writer Amalie Benjamin "to put the fact that he's a sheriff in Mississippi into a story." Papelbon has always been a character, the "Manny being Manny" after Manny jumped ship. He is also an extremely talented pitcher, which is why we all just nodded and smiled rather than shipping him off to Beth Israel for a head exam.

But now that Pap is in Philly, he has some things to say about Boston fans: "The difference between Boston and Philadelphia, the Boston fans are a little bit more hysterical when it comes to the game of baseball... The Philly fans tend to know the game a little better, being in the National League, you know, the way the game is played. I've had a guy take off his prosthetic leg and throw it in the bullpen in Boston."

First of all, that story is HILARIOUS. Secondly, and more importantly, the person that asked him to compare fanbases is an idiot looking to stir things up. Papelbon has been a member of the Phillies for a few months, and has yet to play in a non-Spring Training game. He has no basis for comparison, and the person who asked him about it knows that. That being said, I'm not particularly offended that a man who plays a broom like a guitar thinks I'm "hysterical."

But if you ARE concerned that your baseball street cred is being called into question, never fear, because the always vocal Curt Schilling has your back!

 

"Smartest sports fans on the planet," indeed. It's worth noting that Schill spent time in both cities - but he lives in Massachusetts now, so he has no interest in spurning his neighbors.

I don't blame Papelbon for making Red Sox fans out to be hysterical... I've taken my share of shots at the enigmatic closer, so if he wants to ingratiate himself to a new fanbase by alienating his old one, that's his call. He won't be returning to Fenway Park this season (our one series with the Phils is in Philadelphia), so he'll be safe from the "hysteria."

Thanks again, Cliff Lee!

 With all of the starpower on its way to the American League for the upcoming season, I think it's time to once again thank Cliff Lee for shunning the Yankees' offer of more money to go to Philadelphia last offseason.  With Albert Pujols heading to Anaheim, Prince Fielder going to Detroit, and Roy Oswalt talking to the Rangers, I'm happier than ever that Lee opted for the National League.

Thankfully, neither Pujols nor Fielder are in our division, so we'll be facing the Angels just six times and the Tigers ten times during the regular season (in contrast, we'll play the Yankees, Rays, and other divisional rivals eighteen times each).

Of course, it was especially sweet to finally see a high caliber player rejecting New York, just because their endless money tends to see them getting every player they want, but one year later there's a different perspective - not having to face Lee and his Phils could be the difference between a playoff berth and a third straight year at home in October.

Given the pedigree of hitter now in the AL (and the fact that the DH rule means one more good hitter in the lineup of every non-interleague game), I'm sure Lee is even more content with his decision than he was a year ago.

Happy Trails, Paps.

We can now add Jonathan Papelbon's departure to Philly to the growing list of offseason things that are both sad and unsurprising. The closer's new contract joins:

1. The scapegoating and firing of Terry Francona
2. The departure of Theo Epstein to Chicago
3. The ever-growing list of rumors about the bad behavior of players
4. The fact that we have lost another starter to Tommy John (regardless of personal feelings about John Lackey, looking for a starter in this market is rather depressing)

We all knew this was coming.  Paps never wanted to take a home-town discount, and the Red Sox were perfectly content to go year-to-year with him in arbitration.  The strategy makes sense, especially when you looks at the recent lack of success the Sox have had with long-term contracts for pitchers.  Being bankrolled by John Henry and Co., the Sox can afford to overpay year after year; it's the failed gambles that trap them in terms of years that they're wary of.

But even though it all makes sense from a clinical point of view, it stings.  Papelbon was one of the few players this season who didn't make excuses, who worked his butt off all season, and who was reasonably consistent (his heartbreaking final inning notwithstanding), and I for one am going to miss him.  I trust new GM Ben Cherington to figure this out, and whtehr Bard steps in as the closer permanently or he finds someone via trade or free agency, I don't think we'll be without someone for the ninth inning.

Dan Shaughnessy (which, hilariously, my auto-correct just tried to change to "Haughtiness"), said it poignantly last week: "A natural in front of the cameras, Papelbon was Cinco Ocho. He was the guy who put the cardboard 12-pack box on his head when the Sox clinched the pennant at home against the Indians in ’07. He was the guy who wore the kilt when he rode the duck boat."

Paps loved the spotlight, and I think Philadelphia will be good for him.  We'll see if they regret giving him all those years, but one thing is for sure: the Red Sox will miss him.

Playoff Preview 2011

 The marathon is over.  One hundred and sixty-two games later, just eight teams remain, all hunting for the right to raise the Commissioner’s Trophy into the October night.  The road to the postseason was exciting for many, with the Rays and the Cardinals sneaking in on the very last day of the regular season – both avoiding potential one-game playoffs for the Wild Card against the free-falling Red Sox (winners of the dubious “worst September collapse in history” distinction) and Braves, respectively.

            Two games into the Division Series at press time, and only the Brewers have an edge (two games to none, over the Diamondbacks).  The Yankees and Tigers, Phillies and Cards, and Rays and Rangers are all tied up, with each team laying claim to a singular LDS victory.  The biggest surprise thus far has to be Cliff Lee’s Game 2 loss, closely followed by James Shields’ disastrous start on Saturday.

            In the best-of-five Division Series, the safest money is on Milwaukee to defeat Arizona in three or four games to advance to the NLCS.  The other series are a bit more convoluted to predict while tied 1-1 each – it essentially means you're predicting the outcome of a best-of-three series; something any baseball fan will tell you is a crapshoot.  Most people are betting on Philadelphia to advance over St. Louis, but the Cards won’t be making it easy, especially since Albert Pujols’ troublesome left ankle didn’t stop him from knocking in the go-ahead run on Saturday to tie the series.

            As for New York and Detroit, the advantage will fall to the team whose ace pulls through Monday evening. Writing this Monday morning, I’m giving the edge to the Yankees and CC Sabathia, despite the apparent Cy Young winner Justin Verlander going for the Tigers at home.  Down in St. Pete, the Rangers have Colby Lewis going against the Rays’ young star David Price.  Price struggled down the stretch, so it’s possible that the 224 innings he pitched in 2011 (by far his career high) are catching up with the young lefty. Conversely, Lewis ended his season with a win, and is 3-0 lifetime against the Rays, so I’m going to give him – and the Rangers – the advantage for Game 3 and the ALDS.

            Assuming all of the above, the ALCS should be Texas vs. New York (Yankees will have home-field advantage), and the NLCS should be Milwaukee vs. Philadelphia (Phillies will have home-field advantage).  This is where the pitching staffs will really start to show; baseball is all about pitching, and one hot or strong-willed started can will his team to a World Series – just ask vintage Josh Beckett (2003, 2007).  Though Texas lacks a Sabathia-caliber ace, the rest of their staff is much more reliable than New York’s: if AJ Burnett were more dependable, the Yankees would have my confidence.  As it is, I’m giving the edge to the Rangers.

            If the Phillies manage to get eliminated before the World Series, it will be seen as a failure.  Like the disgraced BoSox, the Phillies were practically crowned champions in February, before a single game had been played. Their pitching pedigree cannot be questioned, but the Brewers are young, hot, and ambitious. For now, the advantage is with Philly.

            In a Texas-Philadelphia World Series (Philly, as the NL team, has home-field because of the NL win in the All-Star Game), the Phillies win it.  It is, as they say, all about the pitching, and no one can beat the Phillies hurlers, at least on paper.

            However, anyone who has read (or now seen) Michael Lewis’ Moneyball knows that playoffs, and especially best-of-five series, are little better than a roll of the dice. Anything can happen, and probably will: I’m predicting a Phillies-Rangers Fall Classic, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Cardinals-Tigers, Diamondbacks-Rays, or Brewers-Yankees. That’s (playoff) baseball.

[Note: the strange timing of this entry - not at the beginning of the LDS - is due to the fact that it was originally written for the Trinity Tripod, and my deadline over there is Monday morning. This means I might already be wrong by the time it comes to press Tuesday night. Oops.]

Terry Francona: Maverick

The current mid-week series in Philly is being billed by many of the talking heads in the sports business as a Fall Classic preview.  The Sox and the Phils are the toast of the bigs, despite the fact that Boston is a game and a half behind New York in the standings right now.

Tonight pitted Josh Beckett against Cliff Lee.  Though Cliff claimed the "W," I won't hold a grudge because I still worship the ground mound he walks on for spurning the advances of the Evil Empire during the offseason.  He's an honorary favorite for life, though that might change if we actually end up meeting him in October.

Despite the fact that I generally approve of Cliff Lee (and Philadelphia generally) I was very happy when Lee gacve up his first hit to the Red Sox, a single to Marco Scutaro in the sixth inning.  The only other Sox hit of the night was clubbed by Darnell McDonald, who doubled to lead off the top of the eighth inning.

We have John Lackey going for us tomorrow, and the big righty has been a bit of a mystery this season.  Personally, I'm inclined to cut him rather more slack than I normally would, because his wife Krista has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and I know how draining, distressing, and rattling it can be to watch a family member fight that battle.

Tito (a better maverick than John McCain ever was), has been hinting that he will combat the uncertainty of Lackey on the bump by putting David Ortiz in the lineup.  As all of you know, playing in Philly means Papi will have to play first base... thus sliding Adrian Gonzalez to right field. Yes, right field.

I could give you my perspective on this plan, but, as always, Dustin Pedroia's take is much more entertaining, so I'll leave it with this sentiment from my favorite second-baseman: "It'll be good offensively, but damn, I've gotta play second, first and right. That's a lot of ground to cover, man. I've got small legs."

It's beginning to look a lot like Cliff-mas...

Yes, the rumors are (apparently) true. Clifton Phifer Lee has turned down offers from the Rangers and Yankees to sign with that "mystery team" we've been hearing about all along: many fans assumed it was a ploy from agent Darek Braunecker, but it turns out that the mystery is for real, and it resides in Citizens Bank Park In Philadelphia.

This is literally the best-case scenario for Red Sox fans. I've been saying for weeks that I wanted Lee to go to the Rangers if given the choice between his two suitors, despite the fact that I was SURE he would be in the Bronx - and that what I wanted most of all was for him to end up in the National League.

Generally, I'm a giant skeptic, but Santa has really made a believer about of me this year, first with Gonzo and Crawford, and now this fantastic outcome in the Lee fiasco. Seriously, we Red Sox fans should be kissing Cliff Lee's feet, both for distracting the Yankees for long enough for the Sox to sign Crawford (surely he was their Plan B heading into the offseason), and for ultimately spurning the Yankees offer to return to Philadelphia, thus ensuring that our batters won't see him until the World Series or during interleague play in June.

Apparently, the Yankees had offered Lee $138 million over six years, with an option for a seventh year (for another $16 million), the Rangers offered "a menu of contract options," but it was the Philly's offer of five years, $120 million, with a vesting option for a sixth year for a whopping $27.5 million if he pitches 200 innings in 2015, or 400 combined between 2014-15.

It is interesting to note that the Lees turned down New York, not in favor of being closer to their Arkansas home while playing for Texas, but to go back to someplace Cliff felt comfortable. Lee is really a stand-up guy: we all heard about how uncomfortable Mrs. Lee was in New York for the ALCS, with Yankees fans apparently spitting and throwing beer from the upper decks into the visiting family section, and it seems the couple has taken that into consideration.

It certainly wasn't the money that sent Lee to Philly, so it seems we have no choice but to take it at face value when he claims to simply feel like he belongs there. Lee's former teammates in Philadelphia from the 2009 title run are thrilled to have him back, and rightly so, as he brings the number of aces in their rotation up to four.

I don't know about you, but I'm very glad Cliff Lee will be in the National League for the foreseeable future. Usually I'm a secularist when it comes to holidays, but this year I'll be celebrating Cliff-mas with all of Philadelphia.

Congrats, Rangers!

I have to be honest: I was downright gleeful when A*Rod made the final out last night, partially because I was correct yet again with the predictions I made way back on October 5, before the playoffs had even begun. (Now the Phillies just need to take Games 6 and 7, and I'll be batting 1.000.)

I know a lot of you won't believe me because of my well-documented Yankees-hatred, but I truly wanted the Rangers to win because they deserved to win. They'd clearly been the superior team throughout the series, and they're players and personnel are SO MUCH EASIER TO ROOT FOR.

I'll be watching with interest to see how the Phillies/Giants series plays out, and be back soon with a World Series preview.

Halladay makes history

Last fall, in the immediate aftermath of the World Series, my Phillies fan friends were less than ecstatic. Trust me, I told them, I KNOW how badly it sucks to lose to New York. And then came the news of that blockbuster December trade... You know, the one that sent Cliff Lee to Seattle, Roy Halladay to Philadelphia, and prospects to Toronto so they could start "rebuilding."

MKy roommate, a casual Phillies fan from South Jersey (VERY different from North Jersey, as I was constantly told), was very upset. She didn't know anything about Halladay, and Lee had been the only bright spot in that lost World Series. "Trust me," I told her, "You will absolutely LOVE Roy Halladay."

[Not to mention how much I was going to love watching his brilliance when it didn't often come against MY team, for a change.]

She was skeptical, but let it go - I'm guessing by now she's forgotten that the conversation even took place. At the time, I at first couldn't believe that she didn't know about the excellence that was Doc Halladay, and then I checked myself: Halladay had never played in the playoffs, and had spent his whole spectacular career buried in the American League East. There was no reason that a casual fan of a National League team WOULD know about him.

Well, they've all heard of him now. After the perfect game in May, Halladay went on to have a shut-down season for the Phils, and last night he tossed a one-walk, no-hit gem in Philadelphia to put the Phillies up 1-0 on the Reds in the NLDS. Oh, did I mention that it was only the second no-hitter in Major League history, after Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956?

And in his first postseason start ever. Yeah, I feel pretty good about that offhanded comment last December: Philadelphia is LOVING Roy Halladay.

Vote for Pedro!

I want to see this again.


GO PHILLIES!

Bandwagon Fans - Other Teams Have Them, Too!

As I was walking into class on Friday, I overheard a conversation between Y-FAB and a female friend of his. In the past, I'd seen her wearing a Yankees hat, but on this particular day it was a LA Dodgers cap. They were discussing the possible teams in the Fall Classic, and she said, "Well it will definitely be the Yankees, and it looks like probably the Phillies."

Thankfully, someone else in the hallway corrected her: "Umm, ACTUALLY, the Phillies are the only team to have clinched their spot." (I'm pretty sure he was a Phillies fan.)

Who are these people? I understand that some people wear the hats for their aesthetic value, and that's totally okay with me, so long as they readily admit it. However, it annoys me when people try to pretend that they actually know about the team whose logo is on their head. These people then try to start arguments with fans who really know their stuff, and more often than not it's THOSE fans who are the loudest.

Pretend to be a fan if you must, but PLEASE don't go walking around giving the rest of us a bad name: not every Red Sox fan is a whining, self-loathing wretch, just as not every Yankees fan is a spoiled brat with no sense of reality. There are rabid Royals fans and casual Dodgers fans, and as long as they're all polite I have no problem with friendly competition.

So it pains me to tell you, Yankees fan, that Y-FAB and his friends are giving you a bad name. After the snafu in the hallway, Y-FAB instigated the following exchange:


(Y-FAB): Are you seriously wearing a Red Sox shirt? Your team's been elimiated for like, two weeks.



(Me): You should know by now, I always represent my team. Also, it's Pedro (*points to #45 on the back*), and he's going to the World Series.



: What, so you're a Phillies fan now?




: I'm always a Pedro fan. And if it means they beat your team or the team that elimated the Sox? Then yes, I'll cheer for Philly.


Seriously? Who stops supporting their team during the offseason? Those people aren't fans at all. So take heart, Red Sox Nation: we aren't the only fan-base full of frauds.

Trust-Fund Brats

Ten years ago today, the Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees, 13-1, at Fenway Park. Pedro Martinez was at the height of his dominance, pitching seven shutout innings and striking out twelve, while aging Roger Clemens went just two innings, giving up five runs (perhaps he forgot his magic injection that day?). In a vacuum, that sounds like a pretty good day: any time the Yankees get embarrassed is a great time, and if Roger Clemens gets to take the fall, even better.

However, that was the lone win for the Sox in the 1999 ALCS, as they went on to lose the series to the Yankees, four games to one. Of course, the Bronx Bombers were en route to their third Championship in four years, and the Sox were about to head into their eighty-first year without one.

Our old friend Pedro got absolutely ROBBED of a win this afternoon, as he pitched - you guessed it - seven innings of shutout baseball. Unfortunately for #45, the Phillies only gave him one run to work with, and then the bullpen coughed it up in the eighth. As much as I want the Yankees to be humiliated (read: eliminated as soon as possible), how epic would a Phils/Yanks World Series be? If Pedro could shut down the Yanks one more time, it would make their defeat even sweeter, if that's possible.

I miss you, Pedro!

I don't hate the Yankees now like I hated them ten years ago (partly because I was nine years old then, and I hated spinach more than baseball teams). In 1999, I hated the Yankees for having what we didn't: a World Series win (and some to spare!). In examining my current disdain, I came up with a perfect analogy to communicate my feelings.

To me, the Yankees are like that trust-fund kid in college... You know, the one who can do no wrong because Daddy and his credit card can bail him/her out of any problem; the one who can travel the world and take unpaid internships; the one who has never had to work, and if they did, it was to pad their resume. They've had everything handed to them, and they feel entitled to such treatment. If they're not the best at something, they throw a fit, and Daddy fixes it with his money and influence.

I can't stand those people, and that's exactly who the Yankees are: Hank and Hal are exhibits A and B. They missed the playoffs last year, and Daddy bought them whatever they wanted. It makes me want to vomit just thinking about it. I understand that the Sox are not the struggling poor kids in this analogy: that role is reserved for the likes of the Pirates, Nationals, and Royals (they're the kid that had to work all through high school to pay the family bills). The Red Sox (and the Angels, Phillies, and Dodgers) are more like the upper-middle class guy: the one who goes to college only because he gets some financial aid, and probably works part- or full-time in the summers.

I hate the Yankees because I hate people who feel entitled, who think that they DESERVE their good fortune, who think that everyone has the advantages they've been blessed enough to get. Right now, the Angels are losing in Game 1 of the ALCS: here's hoping for some divine intervention.

Yo, Angelica, I'm really happy for you, and I'mma let your finish, but the Steinbrenners are the best spoiled brats of all time! Of all time!