Friday, October 19, 2007
It Was A Good Year...
Those Indians were tough, they earned--oh, wait, I'm not one of these ridiculous Red Sox fans (Bob Ryan, for one) who wrote "just in case" concession speeches today, I'm me! So glad Kevin Millar was on my side! He could see it--a simple win by our ace and we get to back to Fenway. And we did it. Beckett is incredible. This weekend should be fun.
But hey, if it doesn't happen--NO! I'm not gonna say that crap! Look, I'm glad some of you feel like not winning it all doesn't necessarily mean it was a bad year. I'm right there with you, I don't want to be like a Yankee fan. But wait until the season ends! What kind of an attitude is it to write a concession speech when we're still alive?? And in better shape than we were against the Yanks just three years ago! Come on, New Englanders, what will it take for some of you to get some confidence? Not Yank-fied arrogance (like the guy who commented on one of my GooTube videos saying I must just be mad because my team was "eliminated from the ALCS"), but enough confidence so that you can say, "I think we'll win tonight because we're the shit." Try it, it'll feel good.
I just mentioned Yankee fans. Speaking of people who seem to have no brain whatsoever, tonight, one of the first things we saw on Fox was an Indian fan with a "The curse is on again" sign. Clap....clap....clap. We're all very proud of you. Wow. Seriously, that would be like if there was a guy in your neighborhood who every day tried to climb a tree and get the golden goblet, but never could quite reach it, until one day after 20 years, he got it, and then a week later, he walks by you, HOLDING the golden goblet, and you say to him, "Hey, terrible job on all those times you didn't get the goblet and these last couple of days when you haven't gotten any more goblets! Loser!" You see how in that case YOU would be the stupid one? But, as a bonus, wouldn't you be even stupider if you added the fact that it was a mystical spell that made the guy not get the goblet for so long, and you feel that that spell surely has somehow reappeared?
Okay, enough about goblets. On to umpires who don't know their physics. If a ball hits the top of a wall, coming from one side, it will bounce OVER IT to the other. (Provided it clears the front corner of the top of the wall, as Manny's clearly did.) Therefore, if it bounces BACK, that means it has hit something on the far side of the wall. (That being the front edge of the solid, flat zone adjacent to the far side of the wall.) The fact that Buck and McCarver decided the umps had made the call had me ready to wring their necks. Then they go and make fun of Manny, who knew he'd just homered. Yet when Kenny Lofton decided to get into a yelling match with Beckett instead of running to first, on a play where, if the fielder had dropped the ball, he could've made it to second.
Speaking of that: I've been sickened by the Lofton bat flip on walks for years. I've talked about it so much this season. When it got to 3-0, I said, "Oh no, I don't want to see the bat flip! Don't walk him!" Then the pitch came in, it was close, Lofton drops the bat, and the ump calls it a strike! I knew Beckett would be pissed. And Fox cut to some highlight reel JUST as you see them start to get into it. I knew exactly what was going on, while Buck and McCarver were still trying to figure it out.
Eh, those guys were just too busy with the "quote Manny out of context" corner tonight.
The only time --Oh! Sorry to interrupt myself, but Josh Beckett just dropped an F-bomb on Fox 25! "I don't get paid to make those fuckin' decisions," he said. He was talking about something I mentioned here before the game--his ex! That was awesome. (Vid here.) I'd say we should get a choir of Indians' ex's to sing the anthem on Saturday, but I wouldn't want to motivate them like they did to Josh tonight! Ha!
So, as I was saying, the only time I was mad at Manny was when he didn't slide into home. When you see the catcher jumping for the ball, get down! Ah well, we ended up winning by a lot, so I'm not fuming about any of the bad stuff. Not even that play where Lugo cuts across in front of Dustin ad knocks the ball away, allowing a runner to go to third. If the two of them just sit there--literally sit on the ground--and wait for the ball to roll to them, at least the runner stays at second. Or that play where Coco couldn't get down a sac bunt, and then Lugo hit into a DP. Or that series against Cleveland where 2/3rds of the lineup shit the bed, but they somehow couldn't find a spot for Ellsbury.
No, I'm happy about the good stuff. Youk appears to be back, as does Dustin. Papi and Manny and Lowell are still gold. If the top five stay hot, and we just get a little help from the rest, and our pitching is solid, we win this in seven.
Man, it feels good to sit down. I refused to sit. The whole game. I needed to be up and close to the TV, in "the spot." I wasn't about to let one bad thing happen on my watch. I didn't achieve that goal, but I did enough. We got the W.
And as I said on my "show," what's the deal with Fox hardly ever mentioning the Indians' drought? When the Tribe, mere innings away from a possible pennant, started missing balls and walking in runs, why didn't Fox start to show close-ups of faces and talk about the "ghosts of the past" easing their way into the park to cause more heartbreak for these poor, cold, pitiful Clevelanders? Where was that talk? No, I don't think of Indians fans that way, and I don't think they deserve it. But after all those years, I kinda thought that was "their thing." Nope. Instead, I see a fucking Babe Ruth "curse" sign, three years after the damn fake curse was "broken" anyway. Dumb shits.
Update: Manny is fucking awesome. He's getting interviewed right now, looking like Joe Namath in Miami before Super Bowl III, laying there, surrounded by microphones. Laughing his ass off. He's obviously reacting to the reaction that met his quotes from before. Talkin' about playing in Colorado, etc. Hilarious. You will see this clip. And you will laugh. Papi himself seemed to be acting as one of the reporters, asking Manny "where's the funeral" at one point.
But hey, if it doesn't happen--NO! I'm not gonna say that crap! Look, I'm glad some of you feel like not winning it all doesn't necessarily mean it was a bad year. I'm right there with you, I don't want to be like a Yankee fan. But wait until the season ends! What kind of an attitude is it to write a concession speech when we're still alive?? And in better shape than we were against the Yanks just three years ago! Come on, New Englanders, what will it take for some of you to get some confidence? Not Yank-fied arrogance (like the guy who commented on one of my GooTube videos saying I must just be mad because my team was "eliminated from the ALCS"), but enough confidence so that you can say, "I think we'll win tonight because we're the shit." Try it, it'll feel good.
I just mentioned Yankee fans. Speaking of people who seem to have no brain whatsoever, tonight, one of the first things we saw on Fox was an Indian fan with a "The curse is on again" sign. Clap....clap....clap. We're all very proud of you. Wow. Seriously, that would be like if there was a guy in your neighborhood who every day tried to climb a tree and get the golden goblet, but never could quite reach it, until one day after 20 years, he got it, and then a week later, he walks by you, HOLDING the golden goblet, and you say to him, "Hey, terrible job on all those times you didn't get the goblet and these last couple of days when you haven't gotten any more goblets! Loser!" You see how in that case YOU would be the stupid one? But, as a bonus, wouldn't you be even stupider if you added the fact that it was a mystical spell that made the guy not get the goblet for so long, and you feel that that spell surely has somehow reappeared?
Okay, enough about goblets. On to umpires who don't know their physics. If a ball hits the top of a wall, coming from one side, it will bounce OVER IT to the other. (Provided it clears the front corner of the top of the wall, as Manny's clearly did.) Therefore, if it bounces BACK, that means it has hit something on the far side of the wall. (That being the front edge of the solid, flat zone adjacent to the far side of the wall.) The fact that Buck and McCarver decided the umps had made the call had me ready to wring their necks. Then they go and make fun of Manny, who knew he'd just homered. Yet when Kenny Lofton decided to get into a yelling match with Beckett instead of running to first, on a play where, if the fielder had dropped the ball, he could've made it to second.
Speaking of that: I've been sickened by the Lofton bat flip on walks for years. I've talked about it so much this season. When it got to 3-0, I said, "Oh no, I don't want to see the bat flip! Don't walk him!" Then the pitch came in, it was close, Lofton drops the bat, and the ump calls it a strike! I knew Beckett would be pissed. And Fox cut to some highlight reel JUST as you see them start to get into it. I knew exactly what was going on, while Buck and McCarver were still trying to figure it out.
Eh, those guys were just too busy with the "quote Manny out of context" corner tonight.
The only time --Oh! Sorry to interrupt myself, but Josh Beckett just dropped an F-bomb on Fox 25! "I don't get paid to make those fuckin' decisions," he said. He was talking about something I mentioned here before the game--his ex! That was awesome. (Vid here.) I'd say we should get a choir of Indians' ex's to sing the anthem on Saturday, but I wouldn't want to motivate them like they did to Josh tonight! Ha!
So, as I was saying, the only time I was mad at Manny was when he didn't slide into home. When you see the catcher jumping for the ball, get down! Ah well, we ended up winning by a lot, so I'm not fuming about any of the bad stuff. Not even that play where Lugo cuts across in front of Dustin ad knocks the ball away, allowing a runner to go to third. If the two of them just sit there--literally sit on the ground--and wait for the ball to roll to them, at least the runner stays at second. Or that play where Coco couldn't get down a sac bunt, and then Lugo hit into a DP. Or that series against Cleveland where 2/3rds of the lineup shit the bed, but they somehow couldn't find a spot for Ellsbury.
No, I'm happy about the good stuff. Youk appears to be back, as does Dustin. Papi and Manny and Lowell are still gold. If the top five stay hot, and we just get a little help from the rest, and our pitching is solid, we win this in seven.
Man, it feels good to sit down. I refused to sit. The whole game. I needed to be up and close to the TV, in "the spot." I wasn't about to let one bad thing happen on my watch. I didn't achieve that goal, but I did enough. We got the W.
And as I said on my "show," what's the deal with Fox hardly ever mentioning the Indians' drought? When the Tribe, mere innings away from a possible pennant, started missing balls and walking in runs, why didn't Fox start to show close-ups of faces and talk about the "ghosts of the past" easing their way into the park to cause more heartbreak for these poor, cold, pitiful Clevelanders? Where was that talk? No, I don't think of Indians fans that way, and I don't think they deserve it. But after all those years, I kinda thought that was "their thing." Nope. Instead, I see a fucking Babe Ruth "curse" sign, three years after the damn fake curse was "broken" anyway. Dumb shits.
Update: Manny is fucking awesome. He's getting interviewed right now, looking like Joe Namath in Miami before Super Bowl III, laying there, surrounded by microphones. Laughing his ass off. He's obviously reacting to the reaction that met his quotes from before. Talkin' about playing in Colorado, etc. Hilarious. You will see this clip. And you will laugh. Papi himself seemed to be acting as one of the reporters, asking Manny "where's the funeral" at one point.
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Sure. I went to Joy of Sox right after finishing my post, and it was already up there, from some SoSHer. So, good job by him/them. That was really fast. When I saw it there, I was like, Oh, I guess I saw a tape. But then I remembered the Fox 25 guy apologizing for the expletive, saying how it was live. So that person really got it up there quick.
Jere, I was only able to hear the audio, but I'll try the YouTube link (thank you) again....Josh was just so great. At the market yesterday (Wed), I was overwhelmed by all of the people (Yankee fans), my friends, who were mad at Manny for not stepping towards first base on his part of the back-to-back-to back home runs. But so what, I say! Lofton is so much more of a crybaby. Witness last night. Manny's double/home run? It could have been either, and he should have hustled a bit more. After all, Papi made it home from first. He with the speedy wheels and the slim fleet body.
But I am so happy, Josh proved again that he is the best pitcher in ALL of baseball, and all is right with RSN and RSI.
Enjoy this super unnaturally warm Friday before the cold front comes in tonight, and go Sox on Saturday...we need a contribution from someone in the starting four other than Josh Baseball.
But I am so happy, Josh proved again that he is the best pitcher in ALL of baseball, and all is right with RSN and RSI.
Enjoy this super unnaturally warm Friday before the cold front comes in tonight, and go Sox on Saturday...we need a contribution from someone in the starting four other than Josh Baseball.
As we Chanted "Fuck Mc Cahvah" Long Into The Night @ Professor Thom's:
It felt Soooooo-Good, So Good, So Good, So Good"
It felt Soooooo-Good, So Good, So Good, So Good"
Manny couldn't have known he'd just hit a homer because HE DIDN'T. According to the Jacob's Field ground rules, "Fair batted ball that travels over the yellow line on top of the outfield wall (on the fly): HOME RUN." (italics mine)
I think it was pretty clear from the replays that the ball hit the yellow line and didn't clear it on the fly. I knew a lot of Red Sox fans would be upset about the hard time McCarver and Buck gave Manny about that play, because usually those guys are idiots. But god help me, I agree with them on this one. Enough celebrating cutting leads to 7-3, enough admiring shit that hasn't happened yet. It's getting old and this is the goddamn playoffs and I hate to sound like my dad, but as he said last night, "That lazy fucker needs to get his $20million ass to second base..."
I think it was pretty clear from the replays that the ball hit the yellow line and didn't clear it on the fly. I knew a lot of Red Sox fans would be upset about the hard time McCarver and Buck gave Manny about that play, because usually those guys are idiots. But god help me, I agree with them on this one. Enough celebrating cutting leads to 7-3, enough admiring shit that hasn't happened yet. It's getting old and this is the goddamn playoffs and I hate to sound like my dad, but as he said last night, "That lazy fucker needs to get his $20million ass to second base..."
I loved how they were getting on Manny and that out-of-context quote right after they put up a graphic showing that Manny is hitting .500 in the ALCS. I guess as a Red Sox fan I should be mad at Manny for staring at all the long HR's he hits, rather than at Crisp or Lugo - Crisp looks like he has absolutely no confidence, and Lugo is pushing so hard that he's turned into a ball-hog (he almost ran over Manny on that Sizemore double as well).
Also, I've never seen anyone more clutch in garbage time than JD Drew. If there's a possibility for a meaningless XBH, he'll deliveer.
Also, I've never seen anyone more clutch in garbage time than JD Drew. If there's a possibility for a meaningless XBH, he'll deliveer.
Matty, I was gonna make a diagram but it was just too late last night.
Think of it this way. If you take away that thing behind the wall, so, if it was just a thin, free-standing wall with a yellow line on top, do you think the ball would've bounced over or bounced back? Unless it hit the front corner (which it clearly didn't, it hit the top), it would have to continue in the same direction. ie. over to the other side. I think the ball slammed into the front corner of the hard surface beyond the yellow line (yes, much of the ball was ON the yellow line, that's because the yellow part has give and is soft, while the thing behind it is hard). That area is out of play, meaning if it hits it, it has hit something past the wall and is a home run. You could even hear it when they played it with sound, bashing off of something hard and ricocheting back toward the field. If it just hit the top of a soft wall, A. it would bounce over and B. the velocity of the bounce wouldn't have been so great.
The only possible hole in my theory is when they showed Myers out there, you could see that SOME panels of the fence actually extended up beyond the flat surface beyond it. If it hit the top of one of those and came back, well, fine, it's in play, but there must be some weird, angled thing INSIDE the yellow part that makes it come back when it should go over (again, because it clearly hit the TOP of the wall, and as long as the top of the wall is flat, physics shouldn't allow a ball to do anything else.)
As for Drew, still trying to figure it out. If you get a guy to play right, and in that year's ALCS, he doesn't even start twice, how can you not go out and get a better guy for the next season?
Think of it this way. If you take away that thing behind the wall, so, if it was just a thin, free-standing wall with a yellow line on top, do you think the ball would've bounced over or bounced back? Unless it hit the front corner (which it clearly didn't, it hit the top), it would have to continue in the same direction. ie. over to the other side. I think the ball slammed into the front corner of the hard surface beyond the yellow line (yes, much of the ball was ON the yellow line, that's because the yellow part has give and is soft, while the thing behind it is hard). That area is out of play, meaning if it hits it, it has hit something past the wall and is a home run. You could even hear it when they played it with sound, bashing off of something hard and ricocheting back toward the field. If it just hit the top of a soft wall, A. it would bounce over and B. the velocity of the bounce wouldn't have been so great.
The only possible hole in my theory is when they showed Myers out there, you could see that SOME panels of the fence actually extended up beyond the flat surface beyond it. If it hit the top of one of those and came back, well, fine, it's in play, but there must be some weird, angled thing INSIDE the yellow part that makes it come back when it should go over (again, because it clearly hit the TOP of the wall, and as long as the top of the wall is flat, physics shouldn't allow a ball to do anything else.)
As for Drew, still trying to figure it out. If you get a guy to play right, and in that year's ALCS, he doesn't even start twice, how can you not go out and get a better guy for the next season?
And I would like to say that Matty and his dad are not idiots.
But JD Drew does need to get his $70 million ass to FIRST base.
But JD Drew does need to get his $70 million ass to FIRST base.
Great post. Extremely glad that I watched the game at a bar with the sound off so I didn't have to listen to those morons going off on Manny.
The whole "was it a home run" kerfuffle reminds me of the scene in Major League when the fans are arguing about it being "too high" and the trajectory of the ball and finally the third guy says "who gives a shit, it's out of here".
That's how I feel about the "home run". Who gives a shit? The Sox won!
And finally, some runs in the 8th.
The whole "was it a home run" kerfuffle reminds me of the scene in Major League when the fans are arguing about it being "too high" and the trajectory of the ball and finally the third guy says "who gives a shit, it's out of here".
That's how I feel about the "home run". Who gives a shit? The Sox won!
And finally, some runs in the 8th.
Dude, I understand the physics that if it was a "standard" wall, the ball probably goes over; I get that. And when Manny crushes a ball 451 feet, a la game 4, then fine, if he wants to stand there like an idiot, fine. But this wasn't exactly a no-doubter, was it? No. So run. I guess I'm old fashioned. So be it. He's a freak of nature hitting the ball; we all know that. He's hitting .500 in the series and helping to carry us. And I love him for that. But damn, man, just run to first base! As a fan and former ball player, I don't think that's too much to ask.
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