The Lesser Of Two Evils

"I hate the Red Sox, but I hate the Yankees more"
"The Red Sox are bad but I'd rather the Yankees not win"
"The Red Sox are just the lesser of two evils"

Statements such as these have commonly reached my ears. Statements that make me cringe for the irony. Irony? Yes, Irony, for look at the numbers.

In the past 20 years the Sox have had 2 World Series apearances, 4 ALCS appearances, and have won the pennant once.

The Yankees on the contrary, have more World Series victories than we have appearances. They've won the pennant 8 times in a row. and have at least 6 ALCS appearances.

Heck the Toronto Blue Jays have had more pennants, World Series appearances, and World Series victories in the last 20 years than the Red Sox.

The Mets have made it to the NLCS just as much as the Sox, and have the same number of appearances and victories in 20 years.

Yeah I an really see how the Sox are the "lesser of two evils". Sure the past 2 years they've been good, 3 if you "include" this year - in which we may not even be playoff bound... seems a little nuts to me.

Were the Reds evil in 1990? Were the Jays evil in 1992?

Common now, the Red Sox are the furthest thing from evil - rather, they spend their existence battling against the Yankees - the dominating force in baseball. The Sox are the rebels. They are the ones continuously fighting... they should be the motivation for other teams. We want to work along side other teams to make Baseball the game it once was - full of paradox and love, not domination.

(thanks Tom for the shirt)

5 and Dime

Thats right folks 5 games left. 2 against Toronto, and 3 against New York. Thats it. Thats all we get to decide who gets division championship shirts.

Nothing more, nothing less (unless theres a tie that is...)

So what do the Sox need to do?
Win 4/5 of course! And man will that be hard to do.

So how do the Sox win 4/5?
Its do-able...but it depends on a lot of things... and since there are 5 games left... how about the 5 most important factors:

5 Most Crucial Things For Sox During The Last 5

5. Manny
Manny has been HOT lately. His bat is key. His glove is clutch. Without it we're doomed. He's got the pressure of finishing second to Papi. Hopefully something will help him continue to MANslaughter other teams... particularly the Yankees.

4. Starting Pitching
The starters need to be racking up innings and not pitches. Somewhere around 100 pitches a game for about 7 innings would be nice for these last 5 games. They need to go deeper into games eating up innings so that the tired bullpen (hello Timlin leads in apperances!) does not have to work as much or as hard.

3. Defense
We can't afford to hand over runs. Teams earn enough off of us, we don't want to give them freebies. Besides, offense rallies around defense. We'll get some runs. We just have to hold them to less.

2. Bullpen
No more giving up runs in the 7th, 8th, or 9th innings. Its depressing to the fans and the team. It kills morale and gives the other team hope. We need to blow through those innings and leave no hope or chance.

and finally...

1. Coaching
Terry Fran"coma" needs to get his act together. How many times in the past week have we said "gee he pulled him one batter too late" ? Yeah thats what I thought.

Scrambled Eggs in October? NO WAY!

Ahhhh the sweet smell of autumn. Walking across campus this morning you could just smell it. The trees have just started to turn but still provide enough cover for a crow to be hidden from most of the word.

Passing the evergreens that are brown from the lack of rain I groan thinking raiiiiinn we should have gotten some instead of Boston.

Suddenly the beautiful smells are musked - ughhh Lottie is making scrambled eggs again. Just as any good morning my brain searches for an analogy...

The Yankees are our scrambled eggs ... musking October for us...

yeahhh reaaaal deep lowie... So much for writing at 7 A.M.

Watchin Fever Pitch I was struck as Ben and Lindsey said the following at Fenway as she meets the crew he usually sits with:

Lindsey: its quite a little group you got here
Ben: well its my summer family

Nothing could have struck me more. My summer family. The Sox. The Fans. The Team...

Its a beautiful thing that I can walk through a city and converse randomly with someone just because of the B donned on their cap... but it is even more beautiful that I have a Sox Family - a group of people from New England, Messiah, the UK, and of course Flordia that I can enjoy every day with win or lose - the people that keep me somewhat sane throughout the 162 game season. The people who struggle with lameday or mlb.tv or wntk just like me and turn to alternate sources such as "deepday" for a quicker source of knowledge. Its crazy but true -we are a Red Sox family. This summer family was great.

One problem with that term is SUMMER!!!

I'm not saying we should be a family in January... I am however saying an October Sox family would be nice....

So double up those Blue Jays!!!!!

GO SOX!

Raining Cats and Doggone it Second Place

I hate rain. I hate rain. That's right I hate... RAIN.

Its beautiful for the flowers, its nice for the grass. But it is NOT good for a pennant race. The whole outcome of this year could be dependant on this rain. HOW SICK IS THAT!

I mean now the Sox have to play two games in 12 hours. Sure they got an off day but heck they just had one Thursday. It might be useful for Timlin though who has been WAY over-used this year.

Ben in Fever Pitch says, "its good for your soul to invest in something you can't control", the thing is I want to invest in the Sox and not the Weather.

Bummer day.

One thing hasn't changed though - Yankees fans still say the weirdest things:

"I love rain - without rain there would be no water"

Sox Are Back?!

Woot - the lovely feeling of First Place!!!! Well... a tie, but all the same its all level for the final 8 y'all!!! I no longer will have to hear (hopefully) the so what if you won we're in first place from Yankees Fans...

Friday's game was SPECTACULAR. We had a great view for 5$ and could see the WHOLE field besides a little of right field which was below us.

The first few innings were nervewrecking as the Resident Messiah Bl'O'ws fan was on my case. Yet with a few swings of the bat Manny and Trot brought us back and put us ahead. All of which I have on tape - though watching it might make you sick due to the jumping - it is definently some amazing stuff!!!

The turnout was great. As was Camden Yahds. There was easily an 85% Red Sox fan base in the sold out pahk. I ran into "Stilts Guy" AKA Brian and "weird helmet guy" aka Sly. Thaaatt was good fun. Nothing like watching a game with a few drunk Red Sox fan legends.

Right now I'm in the peaceful bliss of two Red Sox wins and a Yankee loss. So Just enjoy some pictures... have some coffee (or some other drink if you'd like) and GOOOO SOX!!!

Red Sox Face Final Away Series In Baltimore Starting Tonight

Tonight the Red Sox will be playing outside of Fenway for the last time in thie "regular season."

I don't have time to get into how this has been far from a regular season for the Red Sox. But I do have time to tell you Arroyo is 13-9 with 4.31 ERA in 2005 and is 1-1 with 6.94 ERA vs. BAL in 2005. Perhaps more importantly, he is 3-0 in 4 games september with a 3.54 ERA. If you recall back to last season - he went without a loss for September. I hope the trend continues. The "ugly factor" is he only has 10 strike outs in his last 4 games and needs to improve on that tonight in Camden Yards.

On the bright side, even though the Sox are away... they are sure to encounter some familiarity this weekend as College students from all over pour into Baltimore to show a little Sawx love. So now I myself must go get packed to enjoy the lovely experience of 5$ tickets in the cheap seats of Camden....

GO SOX!!!

Light Wagon

Yes I did steal this from www.bostondirtdogs.com who stole it from Frank Galasso, cartoonist. I think it significantly says what has happened in the past few weeks to the Sox and their fans... pathetic isn't it.

It is plesant not to have Bandwagon fans around... but geesh who knew there were so many?

After the 15-2 win I counted 40 people on Messiah's campus donning Red Sox apparel.
Today there were 4. Way to represent guys. Way to be true fans. The rest of you - go buy a Yankee hat.

The Importance of Good Timing

Timing is one of those crucial things in our society. Don't believe me?
Go ask someone if they want steak after their pet cow dies.

Good timing prevents you from eating your words, from public ridicule, and from late inning losses.

As I sit here this morning in class and the Yankees fans snicker around me about speaking too soon, conveniently forgetting that all year I was the one who told them that they were not out of the race and my money was on them taking over 1st before all was said and done (check back in the history of this site for proof).

They also conveniently forget that there are still 10 days left in the season. Sure they may win the division. It still wont change the way I feel, but I vowed to be optimistic about the outlook of our season from here on out, so here are 10 reasons that the sox will still win the division. No they do not include Coma putting Timlin in against lefties during the 8th inning with the game on the line.

10 Reasons The Red Sox Will Still Win The Division

10. Our Running
Last year it came down to a steal - Dave Roberts was safe - this year... Alex Cora and Stern... Safe.

9. Our Defense
Okay - Renteria isn't a bright light... but Manny, Cora, Mueller, Olerud? Common... I trust these guys!

8. Our Schedule
The remaining games are against teams we CAN beat - and many of them are at home. The last series is our own mini ALCS with home-field advantage against those lousy MFYs.

7. Our Pitching
Okay SCARY for most of us who've been watching - but over the past few weeks there have been a few lights at the end of the tunnel. Arroyo has been clutch, Schilling has been looking better, and Hansen and Manny look good. The key really isn't the pitching - its management of the pitching *cough* Coma *cough*.

6. Our Chemistry
We have more chemistry than a 1,2-dimethylcyclohexane. The intangibles are there - even with the rookies... Even if it was a drag for some of them at first. Yet, here they are now... Top players on our team.

5. Our Hitting
Manny and Papi are HOT. I mean Papi is INSANE... 3 hrs in 3 abs??? Manny is finally Manny again. Not to mention that... the other guys are contributing... our problem with hitting? Too many LOB -- changing our name to the Bahstahn LOBstahs again apparently.

4. Big Papi
Common, do I NEED to explain this one? The guy is a machine... I say MVP. That's Most Valuable Papi.

3. The Fans
Yup us - we will love this team and follow them. That means something to the team. In the toughest moments we'll help and push them over the top. Even if it means turning off the game, staying home, or not talking because we think we are bad luck.

2. Our Desire
We want it. This shit means something to us. We WANT it. And will die trying.

1. Our Ability to Lie and Ignore Reality
That's right, I give in - this is all real BS. But you know what - this BS is my hope - I can't help that. Its possible... it really is... okay it is impossible too... This last stretch is kind of like running 2 miles up the Grand Canyon with only a half of a bottle of water left. Its crazy but exciting. In the end you'll glad you made the journey no matter what if you survive. You might have heat exhaustion and pass out ... but the good news is, on the way up you'll run into someone who has water but the question is: will you ask for it?

How about that for philosophical?

How are the USPS and Yankee fans the same?

15-2 you pansies... thats right 15-2. David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Trot Nixon and Jason Varitek combined for five homers and 12 RBIs on Tuesday to launch Boston to a 15-2 romp in Tampa Bay. Curt Schilling got the win with seven ace innings. Let me tell you it was wicked nice to see Tek and Trot finally break their year long slumps (hopefully).

And you know what Yankees fans that one was for you - and this post is for you. I've been doubting my team because they are as reliable as contraceptives in the time of Christ. You've been smiling as I've been cracking undah the pressure.

But Screw it - I'm going out on a freaking limb heah and I'm telling y'all its OVAH. This Octobah you'll be wondering how it is that you can't get a hot dog in the Bronx. I'll tell you why - The RED SOX (SPECIFICALLY ALEX "TRIPPLE" CORA). Thats it. ITS OVAH.

Sure you're ONLY 0.5 games back sure. I have my money on you sure. BUT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IT TO YOU. A freaking sweep last series if need be but for gosh golly's sake I AM NOT WALKING AWAY WITHOUT A DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP. So look at it as if you saw the last bit of daylight... because it's all downhill from here.

Me and my basketweave hat and flannel shirt will take on your little fake world of 26 rings and your 200+ million dollah sallary team because as long as kids like Hansen and Alex Cora keep bringing their A game and Papi keeps hittin' his homahs while Millah and Kaplah stroke each othahs egos to keep the clubhouse vibe going we're going to WIN IT.

So, How are the USPS and Yankee fans the same?

They are both wicked slow.

Theology

I'm straight up Depressed. Hurt. Betrayed. Pissed off. And FREAKING SCARED. I mean my heart and chest actually HURT. I'M FEELING PAIN.

This is crap. I know all year I've been skeptical according to my companions - that I should soak winning up because it is OUR YEAR. Yet I doubted and doubted with good cause. I saw this coming but I was just too busy praying to the baseball gods that it wouldn't happen to really take into consideration the effect it would have on me.

Here we are with 0.5 games on the MFY's with only 12 freaking days left. HOW am I supposed to cope? With justification that this will rid of us of bandwagon fans? Who gives a shit about them. I hatet them but I want to win the division - if it means bandwaggon yuppies follow I dont care - it is worth it. Here I am in Faith and Society class learning about premillenial dispensationalism and realized eschatology thinking about the theories of Red Soxism instead. Maybe theologists should sit around theologizing when the Sox will win the division applying theories of the ages to come as when the Sox won the Series and the Division? What are our core teachings and beliefs? What shapes us as Sox fans - what do we lay loyal to? What sums up our acting? I'd say "Tessie". Yup thats right - the song. for as it hums:

Boston, you know we love you madly
Hear the crowd roar to your sound
Don't blame us if we ever doubt you
You know we couldn't live without you

Thats it. Thats us summed up right there. It really is true. We love the Sox more than we loved breast milk as children. Yet we know that sometimes its just going to let us down when Mommy hands us a bottle. But without it we're freaking toast.

Its so true that we really can't live with the Sox as this dedicated whole. There is a parallel in youth today who would rather slit their wrists and feel pain than not feel anything at all. Thats what watching the Sox is - it is slitting our wrists just enough to bleed and feel that pain while we pray it doesn't kill us.

So how do we as Sox fans see the rest of the year knowing this? To start lets look back on the season drawing a parallel to Organic Chemistry:

Our season is exactly like OChem class - It started out more turbulent than a Plane in a thunderstorm but than as the class (team) settled in I began to believe - hey maybe I can really do this!!! I understand the Molecular Orbital Theory and the way sigma and pi bonds form in complex organic molecules (HEY maybe Schill, Foulke, Wells can pitch and the offense will hang in !!!!) Than now at the sight of the test begin to wonder - OH SHIT maybe I don't have a clue what I'm talking about, maybe I'll fall apart (right we all saw Foulke's and Schilling's returns). It is at a point where it can go either way. Maybe I will hold it together!!! Maybe I will fall apart. But either way, it goes back to "Tessie" because even if I don't get an A on this test people will still stand by my side and will still "wuv" me.

Sox fans are acting like its over. As are Yankees fans - in both ways that is:
1. The Sox are through
2. The Yanks have no shot

The truth is that it is just the beginning. 12 games. Baltimore. Tampa Bay. Toronto. Each Other. Thats it. Yup thaaaaaaats it.

Here we are battered and bruised - held together by the ducttape called hope, with no off days, and everyone panicking. But here we go one last push, one last battle series. Breathe in, breathe out. Get me some ritilan and here we go. Its in front of us, its ours to win or lose. I pray it be the former but if its the later - my heart will cry out. I may yell I may throw things or make insane statements but by Boston before me I will NEVER EVER stop loving them.

loss

we suck.

Gawd Help me.

You know i just can't take this anymore. 1.5 and it just gets worse.

"OH but don't worry the Yankees lost too"

WHO GIVES A FLYING F###. Face the facts - we're playing .500 ball and right now ITS NOT GOING TO BE GOOD ENOUGH.

aftah all we've been through

Bronson replacing the evah banged up Schilling who has more injuries than the cat compared to edgah.

Wakefield pitching like a stinking ace night aftah night.

Not to mention my bawstin accent comming full on through to aid the final push to the playoffs.

Just please tell me this season isn't going to come down to a one game playoff. PLEASE.


Damon bettah get some more ducttape to hold himself together and Schilling better pray his God hasn't forsaken him.

And if that Gawd doesnt show up I suggest he replace "Our Fathah..." with
" Our papi who art in Fenway
Hallowed be thy homahs,
thou kicketh ass on late inning grass
winning games for us night aftah night,

get us this yeah to the promised land again
and forgive us our crappy pitching
as we allow othahs to pitch gems against us

and deliver us not into extrah innings
but smash one deep in the bottom of the nineth to save Foulkes @$$

for thou art the only freeking playah it seems we have left,
may your contract as yankee slayah remain for evah and evah.

we'll tell the management to screw worrying about damon."

Dear Therapist,

Hello, I was wondering if you had any openings starting as soon as possible lasting until next March. I'm about to enter a state of supreme depression if the Red Sox blow their lead in the AL East. I don't know if I can take another year of coming in second place to the MFY's. I know it is a demanding time of year due to the number of students you recieve panicked about school and the rest of their lives but the Red Sox not winning the East would be like Jesus rising without dying on the Cross - it just doesn't mean the same.
How can we continue to do this - year after year - get hopes up and than just fall apart before pulling it together. I know there are 18 games left in the season but thats just it... with a 2.5 game lead I want 2 games left. Let me know as soon as you can so if there are no available spaces I can look to move to a country where no one has heard of baseball. Thank You.

Sincerely,
Red Sox Nation

Must Win

This series now split 1-1 proves tomorrow is a MUST WIN for the sox - because, in my humble opinion, we need a 2 or 3 game lead at LEAST going into the final series in order to win the division or we could see a series of Fridays where the Red Sox fold.

Looking at the tape of Friday's game I cringe every time the ball rolls away or buckners under Damon's legs, if you will. Yet, today - Saturday's game is another story... we now have hope. I, unfortunately, was out of town on a required trip so I could not see the game, so instead I will quote lovely William's buddy info as to his reaction of the game and why, he, much like myself, hates FOX:

So, for all those ppl who hate FOX with a passion, heres why I hate them. Sox v Yanks, end of the 8th inning, Sox up 9-2, Curt Schilling pitching a beautiful game for the first time all year, showing Sox fans that there is hope yet for our pitching staff and a chance at a repeat. FOX goes to the between inning league update.....except.....they dont EVER go back to the game, curt couldve been going for a complete game, he wasnt that high in the pitch count, and besides that ITS SOX V. YANKEES, I dont care about anything else right now, with a win today we could put the division title almost out of reach of the yanks. Im not sure I've ever yelled so much at a tv before, and the sad thing was, I was alone in the lounge of my dorm doing it. I know I should probably find something better to do, but in a game like this its just simply unethical to do that. Just another reason for me to hate FOX...... may they be cursed for all eternity


Amen!

and oh yeah
GOOOOO SOX!

Bandwagoners!

Ever see someone donning sox apparel and start a conversation only to be disappointed in realizing they don't know papa jack about the team?

I have and its one of the most depressing occurrences in my life that seems to repeat continuously. I know you can be a fan without following the team - and that's okay - but the bandwagoners? All I have to say is I hope the wagon hits a rock and tumbles off a cliff so they all land in Yankee stadium.

Here's a helpful list for all you real Sox fans:

10 ways to tell a Bandwagon Sox fan

1. They are wearing a new BLUE and/or RED hat
2. Mention Dom DiMaggio and they go DiMaggio - didn't he play for the yanks?
3. Fisk - he isn't pudge - Ivan Rod is!
4. They think Curt Schilling is still good
5. They don't know who Jon Papelbon, Hanley Ramirez, or Jacoby Elsbury are
6. The only championship they know of is 2004
7. The Names of Boone and Dent bring about the question - Did they play for the Sox too?
8. They ask why is VTEK out while Wakefield is pitching
9. They think it is called pesky's pole because its awfully "Pesky"
10. They are wearing a (pink) Damon Tee-shirt

Okay y'all here we are - September 9th. I'm settled in and ready for action, one last late season push to hold true to the AL East lead. ESPN commentary stated that the last time a team blew a 4 game lead this late in the season was the Angels in '95 - we seem to like to break records making fans suffer but lets hold this isnt the case.

This is the year of the East championship - it has to be. Its the year we ACTUALLY hold off those MFYs (don't make me clarify what that means... let's leave it at m = mother and y = yankees... use your imagination for f... I'll give you a hint... it doesn't mean friendly.). This is the year we experience the promised land of division championships, and once again the post season rush.

With 25 some odd days left we still face the MFY's 6 times... 3 times starting tonight in NY and 3 more in fenway to complete our season.

Its been heck of a year with Schilling and Foulke and who would have guesssed Embree and bellhorn would be yanks? or that arroyo would have more wins than curt? or that timlin would be closing? that wake would be our ace? or who would believe that big papi would continue his walk off heroics???? OK - so some things arent that weird!!! but wow - what a year it has been! and what a month it will be.

I've followed every game this year and im not missing one from here on out - nor will i fail to report more frequently.

Thoughts on this weekend:

• if we put the yanks away or win 2 the year is ours
• it would be beautiful to get to aaron small...
• the hunt for a red sox october is here!
• and of course as always

GOOOOOO SOOOX!!!