For Red Sox, Time Is Now [Version #86]

The Boston Globe ^ | 4/4/2004 | Bob Hohler

[johnny7]

ATLANTA -- When Manny Ramirez was asked about seeming to take it upon himself to replace "Cowboy Up" with a new Red Sox slogan -- "This is the year" -- he put it pretty bluntly. "This has to be the year," he said with a smile. "There won't be anybody left [afterward]."

[johnny7]

Another year and another Red Sox team that claims its 'the best ever'. God... these Red Sox are an insufferable lot! The only question that really needs asking is... who/what will get the blame when they fall short again this season. No matter how they finish, Boston will still have gay-marriage and the Democrat National Convention in the summer of 2004. Live it up.

[Archangelsk]

"The sumbiches killed our fathers, and now they're killing us."

Attributed to a Sox fan after last year's playoffs.

[fhayek]

sung to the tune of Abraham, Martin and John:

Has anybody here seen the Red Sox win it all?
Can you tell me how long its been?
They seem to get close, but always crash too soon...
Bucky, Buckner and Boone

[SamAdams76]

Doesn't even feel like baseball season up here. It's 36 degrees and cloudy this morning with rain and snow in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow. Haven't seen a ray of sun or even 50 degrees for nearly two weeks now. Cloudy, dank and cold day after day.

After sunny Florida, the Red Sox can't be looking forward to Fenway - at least not until May.

[Conan the Librarian]

How BOUT them BRAVES! WHOOO HOOO!

[Batrachian]

The only hope that the Red Sox have of beating The Curse is to move to Tampa and rename themselves the Florida Bonefish. That will definitely quiet the spirit of the Babe once and for all.

Lets go Yankees, America's team!

[Night Hides Not]

Lets go Yankees, America's team!

Those words earn a projectile barf alert. You guys are gonna score mega runs this year, but your pitching won't make it through the season.

And just wait for the A-Rod love affair to fizzle by August. Poor, poor Alex...he was so depressed last year playing on a last place team, but in a park where he could put up humongous numbers. Give Alex another three months of the media circus, and he'll wear himself out.

This year's Yankees team is a train wreck waiting to happen. When it does, the Schadenfreude will be tasty.

And the Red Sox still won't win the World Series!!! LOL!!! There are a few other teams in the mix that could win the AL: Minnesota, Oakland, Seattle, and Anaheim. ANYTHING can happen in a 7 game series.

[Batrachian]

No train wreck, unless you think going to the World Series and possibly not winning is a train wreck, and can you explain to me why A-Rod, who's been great his whole career, is going to suck all of a sudden? Sounds like sour grapes and wishful thinking to me.

[BlackElk]

Whatever would Sawx fans do if they actually won a World Series???? We aren't going to find out in our lifetimes or probably in God's lifetime so it is as moot a question as questions get. When the Sawx lose this year, the post-season free agent defections: Nomah, Lowe, Varitek will guarantee the outcome will continue for yet more years into the future. Only 14 years until it is a century.

[The Raven]

>>Has anybody here seen the Red Sox win it all?


The Babe Ruth curse

[NYCVirago]

The Sox will enter the season with one of the most fearsome pitching staffs in franchise history, led by Martinez, who has been irked about persistent questions about the velocity of his fastball this spring and is expected to unleash his wrath tonight against the Orioles.

I'm watching the game right now. Pedro's given up 3 runs in the second inning, and thrown at a batter. There's still nobody out, and there's runners on second and third. Some wrath!

[NYCVirago]

And just wait for the A-Rod love affair to fizzle by August. Poor, poor Alex...he was so depressed last year playing on a last place team, but in a park where he could put up humongous numbers. Give Alex another three months of the media circus, and he'll wear himself out.

Funny how when A-Rod was all set to go to the Red Sox, he was considered the greatest player ever by Boston fans. Now that he's a Yankee, he's a bum.

[Night Hides Not]

To clarify: I am not a Sox fan, nor am I envious of the Yankees and their success. Steinbrenner is by far the best owner in baseball, and has used the system to his benefit.

What I'm trying to say is that putting A-Rod into the cauldron of massive egos and New York media will not work for the Yankees.

For three years, A-Rod had his rear kissed daily by his feckless owner and general manager. That will not happen in your fair city. Just wait until A-Rod has a slump, and the media and King George will be all over him. There were only a few times when Alex came through in the clutch for the Rangers, and his .205 average during the month of May (last year!) came at the worst possible time.

There is no way on God's Green Earth that Jeter and A-Rod will be able to co-exist for more than several months, and that's been well documented in your papers. Other stars such as Giambi and Sheffield will not take kindly to being thought of as chopped liver. Giambi's been pretty quiet, but he expected to have a couple of rings by now. What happens to this team if the pitching doesn't hold up or deliver in the playoffs?

In closing, I am a completely PO'ed Texas Rangers fan, who has watched team management make mistake after mistake at every facet of their job. Consequently, their fan base has dwindled from 2.8 million per year to under 2 million, and the bleeding hasn't been stanched.

When all the Texas fans were screaming for pitching, the Rangers gave up A-Rod for Alfonso Soriano? Give me a break!

Believe me, I know it could be worse...had A-Rod been traded to the Sox, we'd have Manny Ramirez for four years!

Through it all, the worst news Ranger fans received during spring training was Tom Hicks was quitting his day job...to spend more time on his sports teams!

[DCPatriot]

Opening Day results....Orioles beat Red Sox and Pedro Martinez 7-2.

Javy Lopez who the O's signed during the offseason, hit a frozen rope deep into the left field seats. It was the 1st pitch he'd face as an Oriole.

Of course, Pedro quickly plunked David Sequi.

[Batrachian]

I think you'll have to admit that A-Rod will help pack even more fans into Yankee Stadium. This deal has generated unbelievable levels of interest and even the NY sports media, who don't love George, have said it's a win-win deal.

As a Rangers fan you should be happy. They can now pick up two good pitchers for the price of A-Rod's salary. The Soriano purchase was smart, because even though he had a dismal post season, he's a tremendous player and very undervalued. He fits the Rangers far better than A-Rod did. I hope they have the sense to keep him, instead of trading him off for a quick buck.

And, as you say, at least they didn't get Manny Ramirez.

BTW, a .205 average, or any average, means absolutely nothing in May. What was his average for the year?

[johnny7]

...Orioles beat Red Sox and Pedro Martinez 7-2.

Yup... watched it all. After the game on the NECN Red Sox Wrap-Up, Dennis Eckersley said... “The Red Sox just want to wrap this thing up.” Duhhh... whattt?! Wrap what up... the season?! Seems the BloSox figure God has anointed them as the new 'chosen people'!

Hey... good luck to the Orioles. I watched them alot vs the Yanks and Sox. They were tough without Tejada and Lopez after the All-Star break.

[bondjamesbond]

The Sox will enter the season with one of the most fearsome pitching staffs in franchise history, led by Martinez, who has been irked about persistent questions about the velocity of his fastball this spring and is expected to unleash his wrath tonight against the Orioles. He has not been charged with a loss in his six Opening Day starts, though the Sox have gone winless in his last three opening starts.

The Orioles might be well advised to substitute these for their regular batting helmets tonight. Oh, and they better not have any octegenarians in the dugout, Pedro is hungry.

[NYCVirago]

Thanks for your response. I'm not too worried about A-Rod being able to handle New York anymore after seeing him handle the press and the pressures so far. But I do agree with you on him and Jeter not getting along -- I watched A-Rod's introductory press conference with the Yankees, and Jeter looked like he was at a colonoscopy appointment, he appeared so glum!

As for Giambi and Sheffield, I don't think it will bother Giambi at all to not have the glare of the media on him -- heck, I think that's been part of the problem with him over the past two years! And Sheff is Sheff -- the guy marches to the beat of his own drummer, and he seems to be impervious to any attacks. The wild card is the steroids issue -- if Giambi gets any more heat about that, this could affect his play. But Sheffield doesn't seem care what anybody says about him, which is a good thing.

As for your Rangers, I still can't believe that they turned down getting Jose Contreras as part of the A-Rod deal. I know Contreras makes 8 million a year, but still -- he's a starting pitcher, and the Rangers desperately need that commodity. And my condolences to you about Tom Hicks -- I hadn't heard he was going to devote more time to his teams. Sheesh! Whatever happened to John Hart, and why was he unable to work the magic with the Rangers that he did with the Indians?

[Burkeman1]

The Sox have a pretty good claim to the best team on paper right now. Only the Yankees could be said to have a team that is an equal. This is the best shot the Sox have had sine 1918. Looking forward to at least a heated and spirited rivalry against the Yankees again this year. Was down in Fort Myers and saw a few Red Sox training games. When they played the Yankees it was reported that tickets were selling for $1000! To a spring training game! It should at least be exciting.

Saw more than a few Yankee fans at the games as well. Everyone got along fine but a lot of good natured ribbing both ways.

Not looking forward to the Dem convention- going to close the new big tunnels! Traffic will be a nightmare.

[Burkeman1]

I just checked out my Sox pics. Not very good. But I got Ellis Burks rounding third on a two run homer, a pretty good one of Varitek, and an ok one of Damon running back to the dugout after an inning. I don't know how to post them but I could send them to you via email.

Schilling and Foulke earned their pay today.