Two nights in a row!
November 2, 2001 6:20 AM Subscribe
I might have to, to understand the rest of that paragraph.
Coincidently the jammy UK football team.. (sorry *soccer*) Manchester United, which they teamed up with to sell merchandise - also has that "it aint over till the fat lady sings" attitude and always manages to pull some remarkable and against all odds feat out of the bag seconds b4 the whislte goes
posted by monkeyJuice at 6:44 AM on November 2, 2001
posted by Rastafari at 6:49 AM on November 2, 2001
i hate the yankees too...but as an O's fan, i gotta root for mussina, and, crap, give them the whole 'destiny' thing. arrgh.
posted by danOstuporStar at 6:55 AM on November 2, 2001
posted by aj100 at 6:56 AM on November 2, 2001
posted by spnx at 7:03 AM on November 2, 2001
is anyone in there right mind going to bet against the yankee winning again this year?
posted by Qambient at 7:09 AM on November 2, 2001
posted by zempf at 7:24 AM on November 2, 2001
If the Diamondbacks somehow manage to win, I will quickly buy a Diamondback tee-shirt.
Why is it surprising that the Yankees are a level above any other team? They spend the most money, because the team is fed by the biggest media market. Not that there's a direct relationship between $ and quality, but the relationship's pretty direct.
Second, I admire the Yankees but detest their fans. I just don't get the psychology of being fan of a team which usually wins and is supposed to win--too easy to the point of pointlessness. In none of our lifetimes will the Yankees cease being the most winning team in sports, whatever they do, so what's the point? I guess the world is divided into people who relate to underdogs, and those who do not. If my Mets somehow started to win year after year, I would, basically, lose interest. Maybe the rest of the world views the United States the way I view Yankee fans?
And howcome that Mefi spell check feature recognizes the word "Yankees", but not "Mets"?
posted by ParisParamus at 7:31 AM on November 2, 2001
Clearly they bought their way in.
posted by Sinner at 7:58 AM on November 2, 2001
posted by bjgeiger at 8:01 AM on November 2, 2001
posted by Grok09 at 8:04 AM on November 2, 2001
posted by Mark at 8:11 AM on November 2, 2001
I probably wouldn't get so incensed if it weren't for the ongoing presence of Chuck aka "Fuck," aka "The Knob," aka "The Knobster," aka "Crazy-Throwin' Guy," aka "Overpaid Mook," aka "Batting Stance of the Damned," aka "Fuck-Weasel" Knoblauch.
But I do.
posted by Skot at 8:16 AM on November 2, 2001
posted by holgate at 8:27 AM on November 2, 2001
posted by holgate at 8:29 AM on November 2, 2001
It's all scripted out you know. Baseball is now right up there with the WWF, except the WWF has better acting.
posted by Mark
Mark, what the hell are you smoking? And where can I get me some?
posted by xochi at 9:10 AM on November 2, 2001
posted by ParisParamus at 9:13 AM on November 2, 2001
posted by tomorama at 9:39 AM on November 2, 2001
Just to prove that some Yankee fans can show compassion, I feel for the Arizona reliever B.Y. Kim. Here's a good article from ESPN.com on how tough it must be to be him right now.
(By the way, this sports-related thread is an interesting example of Matt's point in a MetaTalk discussion about categories on MeFi.)
posted by msacheson at 10:05 AM on November 2, 2001
(ahem)
What really kills me is that most of the national media is in NYC and they're all Yankee fans. They have that gleam in their eyes when the Yankees win and now they have the gaul to wrap it up into some sort of patriotic, anti-terrorist message. I think it would be good for the country if maybe the richest team from the richest city didn't win for a change. Grrr...
posted by drunkkeith at 11:16 AM on November 2, 2001
But, in the end, no matter what happens this weekend, the Yankees have still won 26, including the last 3. ;-)
posted by kasnj at 11:21 AM on November 2, 2001
posted by owillis at 11:41 AM on November 2, 2001
owillis, I feel ya on the Cowboy thing. Us Niner fans hate them too.
posted by Kafkaesque at 12:12 PM on November 2, 2001
posted by Grok09 at 12:25 PM on November 2, 2001
oh. . .btw I'm not especially fond of the Yanks either. . .
posted by Danf at 12:41 PM on November 2, 2001
oh. . .btw I'm not especially fond of the Yanks either. . .
posted by Danf at 12:42 PM on November 2, 2001
Someone have a link? Doesn't sound familiar
P.S: Baseball on TV is best experienced with the sound off. Same for Michael Kaye and John Sterling on radio.
posted by ParisParamus at 12:55 PM on November 2, 2001
The Diamonbacks are a bunch of hicks for Arizona, especially Randy Johnson.
The city needs a World Series win especially at a time like this, it will surely bring up the spirits of the city residents.
posted by yevge at 12:58 PM on November 2, 2001
They need another ring like I need another hole in my head.
posted by Mark at 1:01 PM on November 2, 2001
A 2000-year old French pitcher (preferably with the throwing arm of Asterix)?
posted by liam at 2:14 PM on November 2, 2001
I'm one of those. My spirits would be lifted by a Yankees loss. And that's even without the obscene promise of a Tickertape parade 250 feet from the World Trade Center (if that goes forward).
posted by ParisParamus at 2:34 PM on November 2, 2001
Seriously, I feel terrible for Kim, but he never should have been out there for game 5; he threw 61 pitches the day before, which was part of the reason he finally yielded another homerun in the 10th of game 4. But to bring him BACK out the very next night in the same pressure situation in Yankee Stadium of all places!?! Have you EVER heard of any pitcher since, oh, 1930 throwing 61 pitches on one day and even coming near a mound the next? Schilling had thrown 88 pitches when he was pulled for Kim in Game 4; it was wise to pull him, but then why put a reliever to throw nearly as many pitches- and then put him BACK in the next night? Brenly was asking for that to happen. Kim may be his best reliever, but really- after Kim gave up the lead-off double, why leave him in? In a 2-run game, the first base-runner usually means the hook for the pitcher at that time; why tempt fate? They went to Morgan one batter too late, and Morgan retired 7 straight (which raises the question, why did he then pull Morgan after 7 straight outs to put in Albie Lopez, he of the 19 losses this year?). He'd only have needed 3 of those outs if he had starte the ninth instead of Kim.
And have you ever seen starting pitching this good in a series? Schilling, Johnson, Anderson, Schilling, and now Bautista have all put out ludicrously good performances, better than the Yankees in every case but with Anderson/Clemens (and even then it was a 1-1 game when he left). That the D-Backs are down 3-2 isn't "magic", it's Brenly being a rookie manager that looks like he has no idea what he is doing, bunting like its going out of style and putting in overworked relievers so they can have a nervous breakdown in the middle of the game! If he pulls Johnson or Schilling at any point in games 6 or 7- short of a bone fracture- he oughta be summarily kicked out of organized baseball for life. I think if Schilling or Johnson get tired, they'd learn to throw with their other hand between innings before letting themselves get taken out of the game!
And don't even GET me started on having Matt Williams bunt in the 10th against Rivera with runners on 1st and 2nd and no-outs. Unbelievably bad managing.
posted by hincandenza at 2:43 PM on November 2, 2001
The Yankees are about the most damaging element of baseball right now, to me at least. They're the Microsoft of the sports world. I love the game, but baseball is just becoming too predictable these days.
posted by Hildago at 2:50 PM on November 2, 2001
(But hincandenzera, with all respect, Matt Williams hasn't hit for toffee this series, and Rivera doesn't usually give away more than a couple of fly balls in an outing. Worst of all, Williams hasn't been patient when hitting, which meant that he wasn't the ideal choice to try and make Rivera throw a few more pitches. I was thinking "bunt or double play", and was glad when he bunted.)
Brenly's main problem at Yankee Stadium: he didn't play enough little ball. (And the defence was often shite.) I suspect that will change.
posted by holgate at 4:17 PM on November 2, 2001
posted by liam at 4:32 PM on November 2, 2001
posted by danOstuporStar at 4:38 PM on November 2, 2001
But postseason baseball is _broken_. The same old Yankeeball every year. The so-called Curse of the [Babe Ruth] Bambino is afflicting not just the Red Sox but the entire country. That's why playoff TV ratings are down: we've all seen this stuff already, and it's no longer engaging.
Last year's "World Series" was a satire: the entire "World "shrunk down to just five boroughs. Just like the famous New Yorker cartoon, with nothing but empty scrub west of the Hudson.
NYC: All our hearts have been with you since 9/11; we've sent blood, supplies, money, and people. We look forward to you picking yourself back up, and representing the U.S.
Nonetheless, to _hell_ with the Yankees. They are not America's team (there's no such thing). They've long ago worn out their welcome. And they can take the Mets, Giants, Jets, Knicks, Rangers, and Islanders with them.
(P.S. Yankees : baseball :: Lakers : basketball)
posted by kurumi at 6:08 PM on November 2, 2001
posted by Kafkaesque at 7:20 PM on November 2, 2001
Notice how good the Yankees were when they were the biggest franchise in sports from the 20's through the 60's. It can't be a coincidence that not long after free agency became a reality, the Yankees started suffering through that Mattingly-led blackout of success- they couldn't hoard all the best players any more. But eventually, skyrocketing free agent salaries even down to draftees right out of high school put the Yankees back in the driver's seat.
Brian Cashman is a good GM, but he's no Billy Beane: Cashman and Steinbrenner never have to make the tough choice, and when a player becomes a free agent in the Yankee system, he'll probably end up re-signing because if the Yanks really want him they'll outbid anyone. Meanwhile, ever notice how when other team's free agent superstars are the subject of off-season rumors, "New York" is always one of the places suspected as a 'possible' team to pick them up, even if NY isn't remotely interested. This is true of A-Rod even with Jeter on the Yankees already, it's what you hear about Jason Giambi now, it's true of everyone from Manny Ramirez to Mike Mussina to Roger Clemens- oh hey, those last two actually are on the Yankees, despite being two of the best right-handers in the game today and two of only about 10 true "aces" in the majors (interestingly, two of the others pitch for the D-Backs- but to afford them, you'll notice Arizona had to suffer a huge talent drop-off after that). Gee, what a coincidence- imagine if Minnesota could have signed Mussina and Clemens, or Seattle, or Philadelphia... the list goes on and on. NY doesn't get every big free agent, but they get the ones they really want- and they never lose the ones they have, unless they choose to let the go. They were outspent by the Red Sox this year, which shows that yes, a stupid GM like Duquette can waste a fortune, but it's still a LOT easier to win when you've got the megabucks to do so.
Do you think Seattle might have been even better this year against the Yankees in the ALCS if they still had Johnson and A-Rod? They were unquestionably the better team this year, but a bad 10- game stretch to start the playoffs ended their season prematurely. But who knows- A-Rod at short instead of the tuberculosis ridden no-hit/good-glove Carlos Guillen or his replacement Mark McLemore, or the Big Unit still in Seattle pitching games 1 and 5 instead of, say, Aaron Sele- and we're talking about a Seattle-Braves World Series.
posted by hincandenza at 7:27 PM on November 2, 2001
posted by babydoll at 7:43 PM on November 2, 2001
Anyway, I've long felt he has the creepiest fuckin' eyes. Seriously- tell me those aren't the eyes of a born psychopath, especially when he's got that constant creep-o-rama half-smirk on his mug all the time. American [League] Psycho, if you ask me... I'm NOT going to argue about this...
posted by hincandenza at 8:12 PM on November 2, 2001
I'm not going to argue with you, hincandenza. I bet if we could have some omniscient access to how many top-level athletes are utter sociopaths, we'd throw up our copies of Baseball Prospectus.
How do I know? I'm a Mariners fan. I'm not really a Yankees hater by profession, although I'm entirely on the D-Backs side. I'm a disinterested watcher.
Yet when I watch these games, I feel like there's electrical cabling in all my blood vessels and the juice is on all the time. I'm wrung out at the end of each game, and I dream baseball each night. Imaging not only needing this feeling but thriving in it. That must be some serious emotional dislocation.
I met A-Rod once (some kids interviewed him for a newspaper I worked for, and I took pictures), and he had Jeter's eyes, too: barely sentient but not sleepy; distant, empty, sharp. If it's not offensive, I'd say they were Ted Bundy's eyes (not that I assume A-Rod is a killer). It's a creepy kind of personality, and it must perform well.
posted by argybarg at 1:57 PM on November 3, 2001
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No; I think the Angels might, though.
(ducking)
posted by alumshubby at 6:34 AM on November 2, 2001