Red Sockians

Wrong forum. Whatever. Whover's got NESN in New York I want to be your best friend.

Hmm, I see they're finally done playing their 18 consecutive games against Tampa Bay. Now that they have to play a couple real teams, they can watch that 5 game lead go out the door. So long!

I'm gonna be at this game.

I'll be the one throwing batteries at Johnny Damon.

they've been playing the same teams over and over = they are the REASON these teams are losing!!

Oh, come on. I bet the combined winning percentage of the teams they've faced the last 20 or so games was _well_ under .500 last year. If they're for real, they can show it over the next few games - although so far they've had EVERYTHING go right for them. I guess after last year that's a consolation, but don't expect it to keep up.

BTW Kris, he's got a 15 or 16 game hitting streak going I think, and if he comes out of the series with it intact, I'm putting all the blame on you. Better make 'em size D. ;)

No need to worry, Johnny Damon has already show he can't hit in Oakland. Anyone read Bill Simmons column on ESPN.com about watching all these games against the Devil Rays? It's fucking hilarious.

i believe the correct term would be "R(eds)ockists".

The Red Sox will have approximately a .650 winning percentage vs. the Yankees by the end of the season. So will the White Sox, for that matter. You heard it here first.

As a God-forsaken Sockian, I am sticking with my prediction that the Yankees will finish in 1st place. If Frank Castillo, John Burkett, and Darren Oliver pitch as well against the Good Teams in the league as they have against the Weak Sisters of the league (and why weak SISTERS? sexist bastards...), I will eat my dinner. Two, twice, two times. (Bring up Juan Pena now!)

I am sticking with this prediction because my friend (a big, stupid, ungrateful, totally stupid Yankee fan) is comparing the '02 Sox to the '98 Yankees and the '01 Mariners. I wanna shove a Ballpark frank someplace where it WON'T plump, the stoopid halfwit.

"The Red Sox will have approximately a .650 winning percentage vs. the Yankees by the end of the season. So will the White Sox, for that matter. You heard it here first."

Eh. Who cares. The Mariners and possibly Oakland probably had about that against them last year. Didn't do them any good once October came around.

Daver- I think you're right- in addition to the Red Sox ridiculously easy April, they've had everything clicking, while the Yankees have had some bad luck early on that's not likely to keep up (Bernie and Giambi are the obvious ones, and NJ will improve).

The Yankees haven't had bad luck; they've just played poorly against quality teams. 12 games against the M's and A's would make any team look crappy if they were playing good baseball; w/ bad defense, spotty pitching (esp. the bullpen), and holes in the lineup, it's a fait accomplit that the left coast was going to show up these fancy city folk.

Giambi & Williams aren't the problem. Nick Johnson hiding a knee injury was / is a problem; hey, maybe THAT'S why you're slumping! Alfonso Soriano striking out at a Rob Deer-like pace w/out the walks to back up such free swinging is a problem; when he stops hitting everything hard (which is bound to happen), shit will hit fan with explosive force. Rondell White going 1-for-ever is a problem (though the deal for Cliff Floyd seems to be all but done, if you believe those in the know). And having old pitchers throw like crap is a BIG problem. However, if everyone plays like they should, and the injury bug doesn't bite them anymore, then the East is theirs to lose. (Please note that Rondell White gets injured when he sneezes or thinks too hard, on grass or on turf.) If they acquire Cliff Floyd ... well, sheeeit.

Please note that while the Red Sox run the gauntlet, the Yanks are playing those pesky Rays and peskier Orioles (a .500 team my ass). Yanks already won tonight, 5-2. THE PRESSURE IS ON!

For the Sox, though - beating the snot out of the ball w/out getting a damn thing from 1st base (or Tony Clark, specifically) and right field (Trot Nixon batting EIGHTH! The shame of it all!) is a great sign. (Shea, you beautiful bastard, keep on taking those pitches.)

So far, 2 hits for the Sox. Wooo!

Holy crap! Manny HUSTLED! And he beat out the throw to 1st! A run scored! I need to do homework!

O man Mr Dahlem you are kidding yourself. The Yankees are refreshingly mediocre this year.

The Yankees haven't had bad luck; they've just played poorly against quality teams. 12 games against the M's and A's would make any team look crappy if they were playing good baseball; w/ bad defense, spotty pitching (esp. the bullpen), and holes in the lineup, it's a fait accomplit that the left coast was going to show up these fancy city folk.

Giambi & Williams aren't the problem.

2 middle of the lineup batters hitting about 100 points below average (though they're out of it now) is a BIG problem.

Nick Johnson hiding a knee injury was / is a problem; hey, maybe THAT'S why you're slumping! Alfonso Soriano striking out at a Rob Deer-like pace w/out the walks to back up such free swinging is a problem; when he stops hitting everything hard (which is bound to happen)

It will _probably_ happen. He's still got lots of room for improvement, and he's shown he can improve, which places him among the scariest players in the league. Raw talent-wise, no one will argue he's got loads.

, shit will hit fan with explosive force. Rondell White going 1-for- ever is a problem (though the deal for Cliff Floyd seems to be all but done, if you believe those in the know)

Where the hell did you hear that? I don't see it happening.

. And having old pitchers throw like crap is a BIG problem.

They're doing about what I expected.

However, if everyone plays like they should, and the injury bug doesn't bite them anymore, then the East is theirs to lose. (Please note that Rondell White gets injured when he sneezes or thinks too hard, on grass or on turf.) If they acquire Cliff Floyd ... well, sheeeit.

Please note that while the Red Sox run the gauntlet, the Yanks are playing those pesky Rays and peskier Orioles (a .500 team my ass). Yanks already won tonight, 5-2. THE PRESSURE IS ON!

For the Sox, though - beating the snot out of the ball w/out getting a damn thing from 1st base (or Tony Clark, specifically)

I'd forgotten about him. Defintely some bad luck there.

and right field (Trot Nixon batting EIGHTH!

I figured he had a chance to explode this year, but it's not gonna happen. Same ol' boring numbers for Trot.

The shame of it all!) is a great sign. (Shea, you beautiful bastard, keep on taking those pitches.)

Whether he does or not, he'll be batting around .275 by years end.

Well this was fun. I'm going to read and go to bed, goodnight all.

1) Talent w/ the bat don't mean squat if you don't learn plate discipline (Vlad & Nomar be damned). A projected 29 walks and 172 strikeouts (as gleaned from here) ain't the way to do that. However, he is up from drawing only SEVEN walks last year. SEVEN. I can draw seven walks just by watching the games! Nowhere to go but up. If his average is above .300 come September, I'll wear Jams to work.

2) Dear God, Shea's not doing much better (39 and 101, seen here), but he's learning, too. I'll take that .275 if he's getting on base and slapping the occasional 2-bagger here & there. (Opposite field, Shea.) And not booting the ball TWICE while Pedro's struggling. (Get in front of the ball, Shea.)

3) If you read ANY press about the Yankees (and it's hard not to do that, no matter where you go), the words "Cliff Floyd" and "trade" are mentioned quite frequently. I'm hoping the Marlins contend this year, tho - it'll be tough w/ Jeff Torborg deadset on ruining his pitching staff, but, hey.

4) The Red Sox bullpen puts the FEAR in me.

5) Should Don Baylor be fired before Mark Prior is called up? I say "yeah".

"If you read ANY press about the Yankees (and it's hard not to do that, no matter where you go), the words "Cliff Floyd" and "trade" are mentioned quite frequently."

Mentioned, sure. That doesn't mean "done deal". And I just don't see them getting another big-bat lefty after Giambi.

Hillie making two errors in one inning. Garces throwing wild pitches late in the game. Final score 9-7. Looks like things are back to normal.

Ugly, but entertaining. I thought Tejada had all of that last one. I'll be there tonight too.

Contract the Yankees.

Prior won't even get called up, he'll be in pinstripes & the Cubs'll get prospects before August. The Cubs almost never keep their good AAA players. They don't need to. Wrigley Field is so beautiful that they could sell the place out if the Tribune put a bunch of robots in position and had a motorized pushbroom running the bases. Which would, admittedly, be awesome.

Kick-ass showing vs. a very worn-out looking St Louis team last night, though, I must say.

"The Sox were still chuckling over the naked man who raced across the field with two outs in the ninth inning of Wednesday night's 3-hour- 31-minute game. It was the second time in three years security officials have needed to tackle a naked fan on the field during a Sox game. This time, Little and several players joked, the streaker appeared to be headed directly for second baseman Carlos Baerga before he veered into the outfield. ''That was 31/2 hours of good baseball topped off by a little entertainment,'' Little said. Some of the best baseball of the night occurred moments earlier when Damon leaped at the center-field wall to rob Terrence Long of a home run leading off the ninth. As Damon sprinted to make the catch, spectators tossed debris at him, prompting Nixon to pick up a piece and hurl it in disgust over the wall ..."

KRIIIIS!!

Yes, Sox fans are the most rockist in baseball. We cling fitfully to the cloth of penannts past. We are scared of the future because we know what pain is scheduled to be visited upon us YET in the event that our cycle of history is broken and the messiah comes with his 24 golden rings to reward our belief and patience, we lose everything that has made us special!

Wait, do you think I was the naked guy, or the one throwing shit at Damon? Reason #1 I love Oakland: when the cops waddled out to arrest the streaker, they were soundly booed.

Heh heh

Do naked fans always "need" to be tackled? Or do they just want to be tackled?

It's a cry for help. I wish the cops tackled those jackasses that mess w/ balls in play.

Who the hell would the Cubs get for Prior from the Jankees? Rondell White again? Ron Coomer AGAIN? They could just install a beer keg w/ one of those perpetual motion birds on top and get the same sort of production (cf. Matt Stairs / Piels Party Ball in right field a couple years back). Don't tell me they're gonna trade Hee Sop Choi. Please tell me they're going to lose Delino in some meat- packing plant.

IIIIIIIIICHIIIIIIIIIIIIROOOOOOOOOOOO!

And is there anything better than the Rally Monkey? Bringing back the bullpen cart, maybe. But, damn, I love that there Monkey.