“There’s no beating number one. No way. No how.”, or so says Bob Kaufman of “Bob’s Discount Furniture”, over and over, and over again during the broadcast of Red Sox games. Hopefully Bob’s truism doesn’t apply to the Yankees, as they are in first place right now! One would think that garish, simpleton infomercial-looking by-accident commercials would guarantee last place, but like big box stores & large city payrolls, size seems to matter…
There may actually be some noise this weekend at Fenway Park! Spoiled and pampered Red Sox fans are not so comfortable six and a half games back of the Yanks, and Boston has only a slim lead over two worthy Wild Card opponents. The Big Bad Bronx Bombers are frankly, in their rightful historical place, and anxious Sox fans have to fear not making the playoffs-yelling and screaming shall ensue.
Boston’s sports journalism reached new heights of shrill this summer, causing Sox franchise icon Big Papi to go postal in response to all of the “solid negativity”. The art of journalism has given way to the art of criticism, and the stampede of clever and instantaneous damnation. It’s mostly a problem of volume, the sheer amount of radio, tv, print and on-line everyday carping has created an alternate reality that players can’t breath in. It may be unlikely that these hounded multi-millionaires will stick around after their playing days to manage their restaurants and local charities.
The Red Sox hit a rough patch with six losses on the road against their division rivals, but this was only the 8th & 9th rounds of a fifteen round title fight, and the Fenway Boys will be standing when it is all done in September. The Yanks and Rays had to win, and they played at their absolute best to do so. Fine, a tip of the cap. But now the Sox return to Fenway where there is A LOT of baseball (eight weeks) still to be played. In particular, there are two more series with the Yankees. By then, the Sox will have regrouped and their new players and new lineups will have jelled. Expect the proud and tested Sox to get testy, and payback their rivals.
Mercenary heroes... The Johnny Damon affair is a sad reminder of the dishonor and bad behavior that is the flip side of big money sports teams like the Red Sox. Yes, Boston won two World Series titles, ending an 86 year curse, but perhaps without the lasting honor that even the losers of ‘86, ‘75 & ‘68 retain. The Sox won with acquired big contract players like Damon, Manny Ramirez, Curt Schilling & Josh Beckett, among others-fans of their departed teams were brokenhearted-(Oakland, Cleveland, Philadelphia/Arizona & Florida). But Damon & Ramirez would eventually sell-out the Red Sox just as the Sox had out-bid their previous teams and community of fans.
Damon was booed brutally for several years at Fenway Park when he played for the Yankees. Okay, he makes a lot of money and can take it, but guess what, he’s a human being after all, and now does not want to return to a previous “home”. In fact, nice guy Damon is badly booed everywhere but New York and Detroit.
It has all the hallmarks of a financial divorce. A lasting lifelong scar driven by individual pursuits that trump the honor of the common good. (0)
Listen to the Ghost of Johnny Most discuss the Celt's 2008 Season
