When It Was a Game

It's obviously a fun time to be a Red Sox fan. We're 11.5 games up on second-place Baltimore, and better still 13.5 games up on the Evil Empire, with the Yanks now tied with the D-Rays for last place. There's actually been a couple of moments in the past month when I actually felt a twinge of sympathy for the Bombers, especially when they lost two pitchers that were hit by batted balls up the middle. Still, I got over that quickly, and here's why... their fans need a reality check.

Last week I ready an article in one of the NY papers, I unfortunately wasn't able to find the link today so I'll have to paraphrase. But it was the night after the Yanks lost a game despite threatening in the 9th inning. The article was something like this - The situation is so familiar, Yanks down by a couple of runs but with runners on second and third with Jeter at the plate we just knew what would happen, we've seen it so many times before... but it didn't happen, and the Yanks lost.

What amazes is is the expectation of winning over and over again, year after year. From today's Globe is another excerpt along the same lines -

(Begin quote)

One now former rooter over the weekend announced she was "divorcing" the New York Yankees due to their losing ways. Here are a few gems from Jane Heller, whose declaration was published in the "Cheering Section" of the New York Times:

# "The grounds for the divorce will be mental cruelty. I mean, I made a commitment to these guys, emotional and financial, and they betrayed and humiliated me by allowing the Red Sox- the Red Sox! - to run away with the division."

# "I will tell you how [the Yankees] treated me - as if I were a Kansas City Royals fan."

# "When, exactly, did I fall out of love with the Yankees? (To clarify: I will always love them, but I am no longer in love with them. There is too much anger, too much baggage between us now.) "

# "As for the Yankees, if they suddenly start winning and somehow become not only the American League champions this season but the World Series champions, I will take that as a sign that they want me back and I will give them serious consideration.”

(End quote)
Original post here

Y'know, Sox fans have, by and large, been loyal fans through years and years (how many was that again? 86?) regardless. In fact, current NY fans' parents went through similar stretches with the Yankees. But the Yanks' dominance over this past decade, despite their post-season woes, has their fan base very, very spoiled. Win, or else you're not my team? Please.... Just enjoy the game, enjoy your team and enjoy baseball! Winning is only special if you know what losing feels like too.