Creep Show
One or two of my baker's dozen of readers may be wondering about my reaction to the ballgames played in New York this past weekend.
So. Yes. Um... well the equipment listed below certainly came in handy. Using the tackle I was able to rope myself to the couch in case I was overcome by a sudden urge to fling myself through the window; the bottle of whiskey and sharp knife served as admirable props, giving dramatic emphasis to my various gestures at the screen, while the sofa cushion fort muffled the steady stream of colorful words coming from mouth.
We're better now. Much better.
Naturally certain members of the Boston media delighted in hauling out their negative column templates, much neglected in recent weeks. This from one Eric Wilbur:
But guarded optimism, and dare I say it, reason, still prevails here.Yes, the Red Sox took a right kicking from the Yankees and dropped two in a row. But the season series between these two stands at 9-6 in Boston's favor. In the likely event Boston is swept at home this weekend the record will even up at nine apiece - hardly an indicator that either team has 'owned' the other this year let alone a reason for making predictions of post-season doom. But then, what else are Boston sportswriters for, by and large, save to do their level best to make rooting for the Red Sox a miserable experience.
Anyone reading this who is not from Red Sox nation, please take note. Red Sox fans are an optimistic bunch. It's the goddam press who are miserable. And when they're not perpetuating the myth of whiny Sox fans who secretly enjoy losing, well they're condescending to those same fans. Here's another gem from Wilbur:
How snide. How smug. Just look at those dumb Sox fans, actually rooting for their team. How gauche. They should listen to their betters in the press box.
Sheesh. Why doesn't he just New York and work there? Murray Chass has to retire some day.
And yes, taking the division is an extreme long shot, what with the Red Sox 4.5 back with a little over a dozen to play. But the division has been a long shot since the August days of looking at the Yankees from ten-plus back; Boston's remarkable hot streak simply allowed us to forget how far behind they had fallen and the difficulty of the feat they were attempting. A difficulty created not the press box bogeymen of the Yankees, but by Boston's three months of sub-par play against sub-par teams. The Orioles (in town tonight) have taken 4 of 5 at Fenway. Make that two of five and leave the record against the Yankees the same, including this weekend's ugliness, and the division race looks a little different, doesn't it?
I'm heading to the game tonight. Fully aware that the division is a loooong shot, but ready to share anyway. Because it's fun.
And we're still sitting pretty in the wild card race.
So. Yes. Um... well the equipment listed below certainly came in handy. Using the tackle I was able to rope myself to the couch in case I was overcome by a sudden urge to fling myself through the window; the bottle of whiskey and sharp knife served as admirable props, giving dramatic emphasis to my various gestures at the screen, while the sofa cushion fort muffled the steady stream of colorful words coming from mouth.
We're better now. Much better.
Naturally certain members of the Boston media delighted in hauling out their negative column templates, much neglected in recent weeks. This from one Eric Wilbur:
If we learned anything about the Red Sox this weekend, it may, I'm sorry to say, be that they're going nowhere come the AL playoffs. Are they built for October? Yes. Can they get by the Twins or A's in a five-game series? Probably. Can they get by the Yankees? Probably not. The Red Sox are obviously, in nearly every aspect the better team, but the Yankees will beat them every time.
But guarded optimism, and dare I say it, reason, still prevails here.Yes, the Red Sox took a right kicking from the Yankees and dropped two in a row. But the season series between these two stands at 9-6 in Boston's favor. In the likely event Boston is swept at home this weekend the record will even up at nine apiece - hardly an indicator that either team has 'owned' the other this year let alone a reason for making predictions of post-season doom. But then, what else are Boston sportswriters for, by and large, save to do their level best to make rooting for the Red Sox a miserable experience.
Anyone reading this who is not from Red Sox nation, please take note. Red Sox fans are an optimistic bunch. It's the goddam press who are miserable. And when they're not perpetuating the myth of whiny Sox fans who secretly enjoy losing, well they're condescending to those same fans. Here's another gem from Wilbur:
In all likelihood, the Red Sox could take two out of three at Fenway next weekend, and Red Sox fans will be back to their rallying cry ways.
It's downright pathetic that some fans moan in anticipation of the next Bucky Dent or Aaron Boone, but watching the way the Yankees play when the Red Sox are in town, you know sooner or later we're going to know his name.
How snide. How smug. Just look at those dumb Sox fans, actually rooting for their team. How gauche. They should listen to their betters in the press box.
Sheesh. Why doesn't he just New York and work there? Murray Chass has to retire some day.
And yes, taking the division is an extreme long shot, what with the Red Sox 4.5 back with a little over a dozen to play. But the division has been a long shot since the August days of looking at the Yankees from ten-plus back; Boston's remarkable hot streak simply allowed us to forget how far behind they had fallen and the difficulty of the feat they were attempting. A difficulty created not the press box bogeymen of the Yankees, but by Boston's three months of sub-par play against sub-par teams. The Orioles (in town tonight) have taken 4 of 5 at Fenway. Make that two of five and leave the record against the Yankees the same, including this weekend's ugliness, and the division race looks a little different, doesn't it?
I'm heading to the game tonight. Fully aware that the division is a loooong shot, but ready to share anyway. Because it's fun.
And we're still sitting pretty in the wild card race.
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