The Bitter Rivals Thread

[KenFougere]

I've actually told my European friends that Red Sox/Yankees is the equivalent of Celtic/Rangers...altho to us Bostonian's, Celtic/Laker is THE item right now

Sunday's Game 5 is pivotal.



G o C e l t i c s!

[SDL]

To put it this way...we dislike the Lakers just as much as we dislike the Yankees...

[KenFougere]

A month ago the Red Sox were 8.5 Games behind, and now they're only one game out. Who'd of thunk it?

Certainly not me.

[SDL]

Manny Who?

[KenFougere]

Manny Who?

You got that right . . . .

[KenFougere]

For a team, I thought would struggle offensively, Boston is currently leading the league in:

• Hits
• Runs
• Doubles
• RBI's
• Total Bases
• Slugging %

Second in the league in:

• Batting Average
• Home Runs

How can this be? Especially with the line-ups the Yankees and Tampa Bay both have.

[KenFougere]

This has been such a frustrating season. Injuries to the key players in the lineup & the starting rotation was relentless. It began early in the season and occurred very often. It really KO'd the Sox all season long and they simply couldn't recover. Their starting lineup roster just eclipsed the 200 (players) mark for the season.
Lester and Buchholz were exceptional all season. The dismal performances from Beckett, Lackey, Dice-K and especially Jonathan Papelbon in crucial games was most disappointing.
I can only hope that Theo Epstein does something major to address this teams glaring needs. The bullpen needs an overhaul. I doubt they'll spend the money needed to resign both Adrian Beltre and Victor Martinez. Mike Lowell is retiring. David Ortiz is another year older and clearly Mike Cameron is not the answer as a starter in the OF.
It goes on and on.

[SDL]

This has been such a frustrating season. Injuries to the key players in the lineup & the starting rotation was relentless. It began early in the season and occurred very often. It really KO'd the Sox all season long and they simply couldn't recover. Their starting lineup roster just eclipsed the 200 (players) mark for the season.
Lester and Buchholz were exceptional all season. The dismal performances from Beckett, Lackey, Dice-K and especially Jonathan Papelbon in crucial games was most disappointing.
I can only hope that Theo Epstein does something major to address this teams glaring needs. The bullpen needs an overhaul. I doubt they'll spend the money needed to resign both Adrian Beltre and Victor Martinez. Mike Lowell is retiring. David Ortiz is another year older and clearly Mike Cameron is not the answer as a starter in the OF.
It goes on and on.

But at least, we blocked the Yankees from getting Johnny Damon back!!!

True, Cameron was a flop (injuries didn't help) and I'd have to say that McDonald & Nava played better than Cameron did. There's a good chance that Ellsbury will not be back next season...Give Kalish the CF spot and let McDonald and Nava vie for anorther OF spot with the loser becoming the 4th OFer.

[VTSoxFan]

It's hard to tell what Cameron might have done; he was hurt all season. I have been impressed by Kalish, McDonald, and Nava; Lowrie's done pretty well since his return, and Beltre's been pretty darn good. I think the Sox did better than anyone could have expected, if you count the general misfortune they've had to deal with.

I may write another sonnet or two about this season. Makin' lemonade from this year's lemons. Check the Poetry thread over in BI in the next couple of days.

[KenFougere]

It's hard to tell what Cameron might have done; he was hurt all season. I have been impressed by Kalish, McDonald, and Nava; Lowrie's done pretty well since his return, and Beltre's been pretty darn good. I think the Sox did better than anyone could have expected, if you count the general misfortune they've had to deal with.

I may write another sonnet or two about this season. Makin' lemonade from this year's lemons. Check the Poetry thread over in BI in the next couple of days.

I just think Cameron is way past his prime to be a starter. I agree with you about Kalish, McDonald, and Nava. Beltre has been a monster all season long. I hope they can find a way to sign him & Victor Martinez. And, you're right. They did do a lot better than we had a right to expect considering all the incredible bad luck they've endured all season.

[KenFougere]

Merry Christmas to all my fellow Baseball-Fever members.

[SDL]

Xmas came a bit early for us We got Crawford and Gonzalez and Wheeler

(Mark Prior on a minor-league deal? Isn't that equivalent to a lump of coal?)

[KenFougere]

Xmas came a bit early for us We got Crawford and Gonzalez and Wheeler

(Mark Prior on a minor-league deal? Isn't that equivalent to a lump of coal?)

This year certainly does look more promising.
I'm really looking forward to watching A-Gon hit in Fenway this season. I think a 40 HR, 130 RBI season for him is not out of the question.
Now if Beckett and Lackey could perform close to justifying their salary's, the Sox have a chance to reach the 100 win plateau. Especially since Tampa shouldn't be that much of a factor in the AL East this year with losing many of their offensive stars.

[SDL]

2 out of 3...

We'll take it!

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I've actually told my European friends that Red Sox/Yankees is the equivalent of Celtic/Rangers...altho to us Bostonians, Celtic/Laker is THE item right now

Redsox/Yankees doesn't get as violent as those soccer rivalries get, does it?

I mean, I've seen dozens of Redsox/Yankee games and nobody ever raises a fist to one another. Of course I've seen all of these games at Yankee Stadium (both old and new) so I don't know what it's like on the other side - I have been to Fenway, but never when the Yankees were in town. I would LIKE to think that it's not considered dangerous for Yankee fans to simply SHOW UP at Fenway. It's not, is it?

(I would hope not. Redsox fans are fairly well treated at Yankee Stadium, so I can only assume that I - as a Yankee fan - would not be in danger if I went to Fenway. And no, I wouldn't be getting drunk or starting fights or any of that crap.)

[KenFougere]

Beckett's performance was a shocker. Now they need to build on this weekend.

[SDL]

Beckett's performance was a shocker. Now they need to build on this weekend.

I think this might just be what we needed.

[KenFougere]

I think this might just be what we needed.

Dice-K put the 'kibosh' on that . . . Oh well, on to the next game.

[KenFougere]

This is getting really old, really fast . . .

[VTSoxFan]

It's a long season, Ken. Don't scuttle the ship just yet.

[BaronSamedi]

A few 2-9 teams did reach the World Series, after all. ^

[Mattingly]

Hey, how'd that $111m #18 guy do the other day? Against the old #18, I mean?

Gee, I wonder how the Evil Empires are doing against the 1st place Birds?

[Seattle1]

Mariners-A's
Mariners-Angels
Mariners-Rangers

[Mattingly]

^^ thumbs up, baby!
Where is everybody? What, we stopped zinging each other? Sheesh.

Just don't tell Ken.

[KenFougere]

Hey, how'd that $111m #18 guy do the other day? Against the old #18, I mean?

Gee, I wonder how the Evil Empires are doing against the 1st place Birds?

Nice to see you haven't lost that famous tongue-in-cheek humor . . .