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August 09, 2007
RSN Hearing Footsteps
This one from Tony Massarotti today is too good not to sample here:
There really are just two ways of looking at this: Either the Red Sox have blown the large majority of what was once a 14-game divisional lead or it was only a matter of time before the New York Yankees came out of a truly stupefying trance.
The Red Sox, of course, are electing to choose the latter point of view.
Regardless, let’s not kid ourselves.
What we now have here is an honest to goodness race for the American League East Division title.
“I don’t claim to be a rocket scientist, but if the Yankees win out, I don’t think we’re going to win (the division),” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said before last night’s series finale with the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. “If they win the rest of their games, we’re going to be in trouble.
“I’m missing something here because we’ve been playing good baseball. We’re playing one of the better teams in the league (in the Angels) and they beat us twice. Shame on us. If there are people jumping off bridges (as a result), they’re going to miss some good baseball.”
Amazing isn’t it? No matter how many years go by, no matter how many championships the Red Sox might win, the fear lurks beneath the skin of every Red Sox fan like an emotional scar. The Yankees are coming. Red Sox administrators and players know this, which is why many of them seem terribly defensive when asked anything about the Yankees.
The Red Sox essentially have played .500 baseball for the last 2 months. Entering last night’s game, the Sox were 32-30 in their previous 62 games when they could have formally buried the Yankees with an average of just one more victory every two weeks.
As we all know, they didn’t.
And so now they have to fight.
“You put that kind of lead up, you put yourself in (good) position,” Red Sox right-hander Curt Schilling said. “Part of maintaining that is playing good baseball (and being) fundamentally sound.”
As for the Yankees, this isn’t really about them, no matter how much some masochistic Red Sox followers would like it to be. You would think that October 2004 would have exorcised demons and healed all those scars, but it clearly did not. In the past, the Red Sox and their fans spent far too much time worrying about what was behind them and not about what was in front, and some of those knuckleheads are making the same mistake now.
By the way, for those keeping score at home, it's been 1,016 days since the last time the Red Sox won a post-season game.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at August 9, 2007 09:39 PM
Comments
He savages Red Sox fans for paragraphs but he's as guilty as they are...viz., "No matter how many years go by, no matter how many championships the Red Sox might win..." Uh, Tony, championships, as in plural? You won 1 freaking championship in 89 years. You don't get to even imply "plural." Therein lies the crux of the problem. The insecurity is well-founded, Tony. Read some history once in a while. And work on that wicked accent before appearing on national TV again.
Posted by: JohnnyC ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.waswatching.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at August 10, 2007 09:47 AM
He savages Red Sox fans for paragraphs but he's as guilty as they are...viz., "No matter how many years go by, no matter how many championships the Red Sox might win..." Uh, Tony, championships, as in plural? You won 1 freaking championship in 89 years. You don't get to even imply "plural."
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And the "post of the day" award goes to...
(:
Posted by: Raf at August 10, 2007 11:30 AM
And how many days has it been since the Yankees WON a postseason series? 1,035....
And how many since they won a World Series?
As Yankee fans like to say: "Do The Math"....
Posted by: TheOmnipotentQ at August 10, 2007 12:39 PM
yes, it has been (relatively speaking) a while, but we can still say 'championshipS'.
Posted by: Travis G. at August 10, 2007 01:51 PM
And we can say "championships" too....
Posted by: TheOmnipotentQ at August 10, 2007 05:44 PM
Q - who was it that said: "We have a slogan around here: 'Any group of schlemiels can win once.' We gotta win more than once...."
It's still one and counting for John, Larry and Theo, no?
Posted by: Steve Lombardi at August 10, 2007 10:27 PM
Steve: Can't say I've ever heard of the slogan, "Any group of schlemiels can win just once." Was it started back in October 2004? LOL
For Theo and The Trio it is at one, for the franchise, six.
Posted by: TheOmnipotentQ at August 11, 2007 12:32 AM
Yeah, Larry started saying it during the trophy tour in the winter following 10/04.
Posted by: Steve Lombardi at August 11, 2007 09:15 AM
And we can say "championships" too....
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sorry, i should've stated that i was talking about post dead ball era...
Posted by: Travis G. at August 11, 2007 01:58 PM