The Moment We've All Been Waiting For
OK, that's not quite true. Of the three people whose lives are so empty they actually stop by here, two of them have been dreading this, and I wouldn't be surprised if Seitz never stops by again, so it may just be me, the UrClown and Ice Cold. Selah.
Last year Frankenpunk called me from the road to tell me the Princess had broken up with him. His response when she told him? "Are you kidding me? I've got Sox/Yankees, Game 7, tonight. Like I don't have enough on my plate right now."
JagPo, a Gi'nts fan, joined me here at Chez Flavor to watch the game and as we slogged through Fox's pregame I turned to him and said, "It's weird to think that no mater what happens in the next four hours, I'll likely end up crying." He just laughed. I think these two stories capture how irrational things are in these parts.
Well, there were no tears. Just a stifling case of alexithymia. Like most of the Nation, I had my teevee turned off before Boone touched second base. I again turned to JagPo, shook his hand and said good night. After a bit of pacing in the kitchen I called my Aunt Jane to commiserate, Jane's been doing this since '46, more than twice as long as I. We agreed that it was a great run, Grady was a boob and that at least we got beat this time as oppsed to '99 when the Sox' ineptitude was matched only by the umpires'.
The off-season was nuts. Thanksgiving with the Schillings, the A-Rod nonsense (how pathetic was that pre-trade ceremony where the Rangers annointed him captain?), our inability to give away Manny, Mrs Hamm getting his control top in a twist, Nixon's health woes... Honestly, our Hot Stove was more compelling than the regular season of a lot of teams. And then the season started. We surged, we tanked, we coasted. They played .500 ball for almost three months. Things were so bad, I was worried enough about the Angels, that this site was (still)born.
There were plenty of ups and downs. "We don't throw at .260 hitters" became the second most famous line never actually uttered, trailing only "Play it again, Sam" ("I have love in my heart, you ignorant fuck!" a distant third). Jeter dove headlong into the fifth row during one of the best July baseball games ever. The greatest shortstop in team history was traded for two guys with a combined OPS of around .700. The Death Wish Kid finally started getting a little love. We even shut down for a week. "Daddy."
When the dust finally settled, we got the dream match up we here at MWISAA could've only hoped for: Boston/Anaheim in the ALDS, we all know how that turned back, out of respect I won't pick the still-fresh scab.
Let's instead look forward to tomorrow night...
Game 1, Boston v New York
Curt Schilling - I honestly can't think of a guy in baseball I'd rather have starting this game for the Sox. Are there better pitchers out there? Yeah, of course. But this is the man who dismissed Aura and Mystique, who threw 21 innings of four-run ball at the Yankees in the World Series three years ago. He came here because this is exactly what he wanted, to climb the hill at the Stadium and lead the Sox to the Promised Land. Yes, his ankle is hurting, but it's been hurting all year and any guy whose email address is Gehrig38 isn't likely to let a bum wheel slow him down.
Mike Mussina - Two or three more good seasons away from the Hall, with a career playoff ERA of around 3.00, a recidivist gold glover who seldom issues walks. After a rollercoaster season that left many New Yorkers somewhere between disappointed and spitting mad, he's had an ERA of around 2.00 over his last 7 starts, including a 2-run, 7 inning loss to the Twinkies in the ALDS. I hate him. I hated even before he was a Yankee, back when he was just a joyless Oriole.
I won't insult your intelligence by feigning objectivity. This is not my Aunt Jane's Red Sox. They are talented and deep, they pitch, field and hit and hit and hit. True, we have (yet )a(nother) cow-eyed manager who ambles about in his pj's. But as Kevin "Idiot Cowboy" Millar says, this team is definitely five outs better than last year's squad. Sadly the Sox will enjoy another advantage tomorrow with the tragedy that has befallen the Rivera family in Panama City. The Sox will claim homefield advantage with a win in the opener.
Last year Frankenpunk called me from the road to tell me the Princess had broken up with him. His response when she told him? "Are you kidding me? I've got Sox/Yankees, Game 7, tonight. Like I don't have enough on my plate right now."
JagPo, a Gi'nts fan, joined me here at Chez Flavor to watch the game and as we slogged through Fox's pregame I turned to him and said, "It's weird to think that no mater what happens in the next four hours, I'll likely end up crying." He just laughed. I think these two stories capture how irrational things are in these parts.
Well, there were no tears. Just a stifling case of alexithymia. Like most of the Nation, I had my teevee turned off before Boone touched second base. I again turned to JagPo, shook his hand and said good night. After a bit of pacing in the kitchen I called my Aunt Jane to commiserate, Jane's been doing this since '46, more than twice as long as I. We agreed that it was a great run, Grady was a boob and that at least we got beat this time as oppsed to '99 when the Sox' ineptitude was matched only by the umpires'.
The off-season was nuts. Thanksgiving with the Schillings, the A-Rod nonsense (how pathetic was that pre-trade ceremony where the Rangers annointed him captain?), our inability to give away Manny, Mrs Hamm getting his control top in a twist, Nixon's health woes... Honestly, our Hot Stove was more compelling than the regular season of a lot of teams. And then the season started. We surged, we tanked, we coasted. They played .500 ball for almost three months. Things were so bad, I was worried enough about the Angels, that this site was (still)born.
There were plenty of ups and downs. "We don't throw at .260 hitters" became the second most famous line never actually uttered, trailing only "Play it again, Sam" ("I have love in my heart, you ignorant fuck!" a distant third). Jeter dove headlong into the fifth row during one of the best July baseball games ever. The greatest shortstop in team history was traded for two guys with a combined OPS of around .700. The Death Wish Kid finally started getting a little love. We even shut down for a week. "Daddy."
When the dust finally settled, we got the dream match up we here at MWISAA could've only hoped for: Boston/Anaheim in the ALDS, we all know how that turned back, out of respect I won't pick the still-fresh scab.
Let's instead look forward to tomorrow night...
Game 1, Boston v New York
Curt Schilling - I honestly can't think of a guy in baseball I'd rather have starting this game for the Sox. Are there better pitchers out there? Yeah, of course. But this is the man who dismissed Aura and Mystique, who threw 21 innings of four-run ball at the Yankees in the World Series three years ago. He came here because this is exactly what he wanted, to climb the hill at the Stadium and lead the Sox to the Promised Land. Yes, his ankle is hurting, but it's been hurting all year and any guy whose email address is Gehrig38 isn't likely to let a bum wheel slow him down.
Mike Mussina - Two or three more good seasons away from the Hall, with a career playoff ERA of around 3.00, a recidivist gold glover who seldom issues walks. After a rollercoaster season that left many New Yorkers somewhere between disappointed and spitting mad, he's had an ERA of around 2.00 over his last 7 starts, including a 2-run, 7 inning loss to the Twinkies in the ALDS. I hate him. I hated even before he was a Yankee, back when he was just a joyless Oriole.
I won't insult your intelligence by feigning objectivity. This is not my Aunt Jane's Red Sox. They are talented and deep, they pitch, field and hit and hit and hit. True, we have (yet )a(nother) cow-eyed manager who ambles about in his pj's. But as Kevin "Idiot Cowboy" Millar says, this team is definitely five outs better than last year's squad. Sadly the Sox will enjoy another advantage tomorrow with the tragedy that has befallen the Rivera family in Panama City. The Sox will claim homefield advantage with a win in the opener.
6 Comments:
Lets Go Yankees!
Sorry, Matt. Yankees fans are insufferable, but they're gonna be that way whether they win or not. I'm used to them winning, and I've learned to deal with it. Sox fans are insufferable, too, but I just see it going to a whole new level of obnoxiousness if they ever win, which is tough to fathom. I just don't think I could handle that.
In essence, if the Yankees win, nothing changes. But if the Sox win, my faith in a higher power will be completely destroyed.
That goes for the Cubs, too. Individual exceptions aside, you'd think that two franchises that hadn't won anything in 85 years wouldn't be capable of producing such assholes for fans, but....
Oh, no offense, Scott.
And by the way, Isn't Clemens on the mound for game seven in New York every bit the story that Clemens in Boston would be?
william, listen to matt. don't sulk. we WANT boston in the WS. Clemens. Game 7. Fenway. anyway, cheering for the MFY is like cheering for microsoft.
and my stros NEED to face the red sox in the WS. You talk about cursed, at least they've BEEN there WON that... we're ofer 2..
lisa gray
Lisa,
When Dave Smith and/or Kevin Bass shoot themselves over that disaster in 1986, you can call your franchise cursed. Until then, the Astros are just Mariners South.
The Astros were my favorite NL team for a while, until I realized I really didn't like the NL, and since I dislike them less than the Cardinals, I'll be rooting for them, I guess. But cursed they aint.
bill,
kevin bass was my very favorite astro and watching him strike out was just heartbreaking for 6 year old lil ol me. my heart got broke, really broke in 98 when we had the best team ever AND RJ and i'm very afraid to fall so in luv again. so i'm just kind hoping with as much bravado as i can bring.
appreciate your rooting for us.
lisa
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