The Super Terrific MLB Thread - Part 2

[WildHoneyAlways]

I keep hearing the Cub are interested in Scotty Pods.

 

[speedracer]

Re: Re: Re: I look forward to the email

No, no, no. I mean that you don't have to be a season ticket holder to be a "true" fan of a team. Lots of people can't afford season tickets. Lots of companies have season tickets that have nothing to do with fandom and everything to do with entertaining clients.

Bollocks. Everyone knows that true U2 fans save up thousands of dollars and a month of vacation time so that they can get GA tickets and get in line at 6 am for at least ten different concerts every tour.

 

[Varitek]

I'm probably more than a little biased in saying this since I was there, but I think it would have been better to be at Game 7 of the ALCS than Game 4 of the World Series.

I was at game 5 of the ALCS and I think it may have eclipsed both game 7 and game 4 of the WS. The drama in game 7 ended by the 3rd inning, game 5 was a ridiculous 14 inning nail biter, and having standing room tix, I was physically and emotionally as drained as I've ever been at a sporting event, but so worth it.

I was at every playoff game from 2003 to 2005 except 2004 Game 5 because I'd have had to miss about 3 college classes and back then (freshman fall) I didn't do that yet. However, Game 4 was the most emotionally draining anything I've endured, especially coming right after 2 consecutive huge let downs: sitting in the bleachers while they waited 2 hours to call the game for rain, and then staying through the whole shellacking in game 3 (I mean it when I say I never leave a game early). I was even on TV during the 9th of game 4 looking extremely nervous.

I love my game 4 memories of Dave Roberts. It's not like game 7 was terribly exciting/suspenseful - I'd take game 4 or 5 any day, but I always wanted to be there when we won it all, as unexciting as that world series was without the Red Sox factor.

 

[Varitek]

Does being a "real fan" have anything to do with how many games you attend a year??

In that it shows bandwagonism to decide to go to fewer games in a season when your team is more likely to lose, instead of supporting them throughout, yes. And if you consider yourself a "baseball" fan and not just a fan of the team, wouldn't you crave a little live baseball regardless? If your team sucks, just get tickets to see a good opponent, you can probably even pick the pitcher and get tickets night-of if they suck enough.

I consider the number of Red Sox games I've been to a badge of pride (many more prior to my mother getting the pair of season tickets than since she has, as it corresponded with me going off to college) but I don't consider it a sole or trumping determination of die-hardism. I grew up in Boston, went to high school a 5 minute walk from Fenway Park, and am fortunate enough that my family can afford season tickets (albeit bleachers and night games only). Not everyone is that lucky. But I have chosen to spend a ridiculous amount of my income on going to Sox games, just like U2 concerts, and I think spending priorities do say something about how big of a fan you are.

e.g. I can go to 10 games for 200 bucks, it might cost some other sox fan 400 for one game between gas, parking, and not having easy access to cheap seats. But if that guy makes 10x more than me (not hard, I'm a college student) then I still calculate that I care more with regards to spending priorities, part but not all of the equation.

And zonelister, Sox fans travel too, we have a home field advantage in many ball parks. I've seen the sox play in 4 other parks over probably 7 series in the past 8 years, plus travelling to some games that had no Red Sox involved. The first time I ever saw the Sox at Yankee Stadium I lost my voice by the 4th inning...

 

[zonelistener]

And zonelister, Sox fans travel too, we have a home field advantage in many ball parks. I've seen the sox play in 4 other parks over probably 7 series in the past 8 years, plus travelling to some games that had no Red Sox involved. The first time I ever saw the Sox at Yankee Stadium I lost my voice by the 4th inning...

Oh yes...I know. I am traveling with a pack of Red Sox fans to Chicago in late August. I believe Ms. WHA may be joining us and hopefully No Spoken Words.



I am headed to see Atlanta and Philly tomorrow night.

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

Watch my form now!

In that it shows bandwagonism to decide to go to fewer games in a season when your team is more likely to lose, instead of supporting them throughout, yes. And if you consider yourself a "baseball" fan and not just a fan of the team, wouldn't you crave a little live baseball regardless? If your team sucks, just get tickets to see a good opponent, you can probably even pick the pitcher and get tickets night-of if they suck enough.

Um, yeah, I know all about bandwagonism. I don't partake in it. I went to Bulls games when they couldn't put together 25 wins in a season so don't talk to me about supporting my teams. I'm not a "baseball" fan. I'm a White Sox fan. I couldn't give a shit about other teams. I want my team to do well. Barry Bonds & Roger Clemens can piss off. I don't care about them unless they're playing the Sock. I pay for the MLB audio package so I can listen to games online when I'm not at home. I watch every game I can on tv. I'm a member of the Sox pride club. I have lanyards, t-shirts, visors, sweatshirts, hats, bobble heads, hell, I decorated one wall in my classroom with Sock posters. I have framed pictures and plaques hanging in my office. I'm not afraid to wear my Sock stuff, even when they're bad. I'm tired of people thinking that all Sox fans are poor Southside trash. (btw, I'm still pissed that Joe Buck said "I bet they're celebrating in Robert Taylor homes tonight" after a win. but I digress. . .) I still go to games but not the 15-20 or so I've been going to the past few seasons.

People who blindly fill a ballpark year after year when their team sucks don't help the team get better. Why should ownership put a competitive team on the field when 40,000 ass-clowns fill the stadium game after game? If the Sox didn't give Buehrle a deal I wouldn't go to another game this season. Most baseball team owners aren't just in for the love of the game. It is a business after all. It's about money. Why do you think US Cellular was renovated? To bring in more revenue. People didn't like the step upper deck so it was changed. People didn't like the exterior of the park so it was changed to look more like an old school facade. Do you know what happened? People started to come to more games. Half-price night, pepsi tuesdays, Dollar hotdog night, Elvis night, mullet night, Rat Pack night, all good business decisions. Money talks.

I consider the number of Red Sox games I've been to a badge of pride (many more prior to my mother getting the pair of season tickets than since she has, as it corresponded with me going off to college) but I don't consider it a sole or trumping determination of die-hardism. I grew up in Boston, went to high school a 5 minute walk from Fenway Park, and am fortunate enough that my family can afford season tickets (albeit bleachers and night games only). Not everyone is that lucky. But I have chosen to spend a ridiculous amount of my income on going to Sox games, just like U2 concerts, and I think spending priorities do say something about how big of a fan you are.

Sorry, using spending priorities to determine how big a fan you are is nonsense. I'd have some serious questions about my parents if they chose to spend money on season tickets instead of buying us new school clothes or saving that money for a down-payment on a new home. It's one thing when a person has disposable income but I'm not in the habit of judging people by how much money they have or spend. Personally, I have spent ridiculous amounts of money on U2, the Sock and Bears games but I don't consider my self to be a bigger/better fan than anyone else. Using dollar amounts to rank fandom reeks of elitist bullshit to me.

Can somebody that's not a Cub or Red Cub fan see what I'm getting at?

 

[Dalton]

I'm going to a Tigers game on Sunday with a sign that reads: "Give me my hope back"

fuckers.

 

[zonelistener]

Re: Watch my form now!

I'm tired of people thinking that all Sox fans are poor Southside trash.

I know better...but is it any different than calling 40,000 people "Ass clowns" for going to Wrigley Field? I don't think so.

As long as you use "ass clowns" - expect the WT references!

Why do you think US Cellular was renovated?

To get an All Star game. Why did they wait so long to fix the damn stadium? (I am sticking with the All Star game for the reason).

Half-price night, pepsi tuesdays, Dollar hotdog night, Elvis night, mullet night, Rat Pack night, all good business decisions. Money talks.

Now THIS is about getting back to the HERITAGE of the team. Bringing back promotions from the Sox' Bill Veeck era (and/or stealing ideas from minor league teams from across the country) is an outstanding way to draw in fans. Used Car Night - perfect! Selling a 7:11PM start time as a sponsorship - that is good business.

I appreciate the heritage of the southside sock - even though I prefer the Cubbies.

 

[zonelistener]

sorry, no refunds

I'm going to a Tigers game on Sunday with a sign that reads: "Give me my hope back"

fuckers.

Are you sure the Tigers have it? Did you check across the street at Ford Field? Oh, nevermind.

 

[Dalton]

Re: sorry, no refunds

Are you sure the Tigers have it? Did you check across the street at Ford Field? Oh, nevermind.

Wow. You could actually play for the Tigers right now: your delivery was all out of wack and when it came to the punch line it was a 'swing and a miss'.

And yes, that is the best i've got tonight.

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

Re: Re: Watch my form now!

I know better...but is it any different than calling 40,000 people "Ass clowns" for going to Wrigley Field? I don't think so.

As long as you use "ass clowns" - expect the WT references!



To get an All Star game. Why did they wait so long to fix the damn stadium? (I am sticking with the All Star game for the reason).
i

Concerning my use of the work "ass-clown." I obviously stole it from Office Space. I use it for everyone. There are assclowns at sock games, at the mall, at bars. Why assume I was talking about Cub fans? I could have been referring to Bear fans during the Wannstedt era. It has nothing to do with socio-economic status, just a perceived behavior. It really gets under my skin when people equate working class/blue collar with white trash. I hate to break it to people but trash exists in every class.

I have more than a few Cub fan friends who hate the 7th inning stretch, who wouldn't be caught dead in the bleachers, who wouldn't dream of wearing 3 1/2 inch heels and tube top to a game. I hate that they are "Chicago's team" because of their location.

However, I understand it is useless to make generalizations about entire groups of people. It's unfair. On the other hand, I don't continue to buy a product simply b/c it has a "brand name" I like. If the product's quality has diminished, take jcrew's jeans for example, I won't continue to buy it.

As far as renovations go, the upper deck wasn't fixed until the year after the All-Star game. The fan deck and new LED scoreboard was added in 2003 All-Star year though.

 

[speedracer]

Re: Watch my form now!

Sorry, using spending priorities to determine how big a fan you are is nonsense. I'd have some serious questions about my parents if they chose to spend money on season tickets instead of buying us new school clothes or saving that money for a down-payment on a new home. It's one thing when a person has disposable income but I'm not in the habit of judging people by how much money they have or spend. Personally, I have spent ridiculous amounts of money on U2, the Sock and Bears games but I don't consider my self to be a bigger/better fan than anyone else. Using dollar amounts to rank fandom reeks of elitist bullshit to me.

I would say that in general, spending more time and money on your favorite band/sports team/etc. makes you a bigger fan. It certainly doesn't mean you're a better person, have a bigger wang or anything of that sort.

I missed the Red Sox here in LA (Anaheim) this past week because I chose to go running one night and had church stuff the other two nights. That makes the 500,000 Red Sox fans who showed up slightly better fans than me, but I'm not going to feel bad about it.

 

[speedracer]

Also, clearly this thread needs to be directed back to the topic of drugs:

TOKYO (AP) -- A former Triple-A pitcher from California has become the first player in Japanese baseball history to flunk a drug test.

Rick Guttormson, who played in the San Diego and Seattle minor league systems, was suspended for 20 days Friday after testing positive for a banned substance. His team, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, was fined $63,000.

Japanese baseball officials said a postgame test July 13 showed Finasteride in Guttormson's system. Finasteride was in a hair-growing agent the 30-year-old Guttormson had been taking for two years. It's banned because it can be used as a masking agent.

 

[No spoken words]

Sorry, but, there are a lot of middle class, or lower, people who love their teams.....and support them however they best can.....and I'd not call someone with the $$$ for season tickets a better fan than them, just because of the economic gap between the two. The more I think about it, actually, the more insane of a comment that seems to me. I am a die-hard Yankee fan but have not lived in The Bronx for a very long time. When they visited Anaheim, I would go...when they played SD and AZ in the World Series, I was there....but, besides that, and getting the Extra Innings package, I did not spend all that much $$$ on the Yankees. But I love Yankee baseball as much as anyone else I know, so, I just do not comprehend that argument, sorry.

 

[No spoken words]

Oh yes...I know. I am traveling with a pack of Red Sox fans to Chicago in late August. I believe Ms. WHA may be joining us and hopefully No Spoken Words.



I am headed to see Atlanta and Philly tomorrow night.

No Spoken Words is in.

 

[phanan]

Re: Watch my form now!

Sorry, using spending priorities to determine how big a fan you are is nonsense. I'd have some serious questions about my parents if they chose to spend money on season tickets instead of buying us new school clothes or saving that money for a down-payment on a new home. It's one thing when a person has disposable income but I'm not in the habit of judging people by how much money they have or spend. Personally, I have spent ridiculous amounts of money on U2, the Sock and Bears games but I don't consider my self to be a bigger/better fan than anyone else. Using dollar amounts to rank fandom reeks of elitist bullshit to me.

Agreed. I certainly can't go to as many Red Sox games as I used to as I've got a family to support and more responsibility to them than a sport, yet it doesn't make me any less of a fan.

Can somebody that's not a Cub or Red Cub fan see what I'm getting at?

A Red Cub fan?

Bah ha ha ha...

 

[Dusty Bottoms]

"Big Stick" Rick with another bomb today.

 

[Dusty Bottoms]

Make that 2 dingers on the day. 3 homeruns in 3 games since the callup, incredible.

 

[Dusty Bottoms]

man i cant believe the yankees are only 4 games behind the red sox

 

[No spoken words]

I'm a Yankee fan and neither can I. The past few weeks, I've been hoping for the wildcard, but, the division is now a possibility. I still think the Sox have the best team in baseball, especially with Schilling back and pitching like he did today. Gagne blew the lead today.

 

[corianderstem]

Please feel free to win your division, Yankees. We'll be happy in Seattle with a wild card berth.

Although we'd REALLY prefer you not be in the playoffs at all, as we can beat you any old time we please ... except, apparently, in the playoffs.

 

[Dusty Bottoms]

Weaver pitched a hell of a game for the Mariners today, I miss that guy.

I'd laugh if the Yankees won the division and the Mariners won the wild card and Boston got left out altogether.

 

[zonelistener]

your form is losing it! baseball teams do not equal jeans.

However, I understand it is useless to make generalizations about entire groups of people. It's unfair. On the other hand, I don't continue to buy a product simply b/c it has a "brand name" I like. If the product's quality has diminished, take jcrew's jeans for example, I won't continue to buy it.

As far as renovations go, the upper deck wasn't fixed until the year after the All-Star game. The fan deck and new LED scoreboard was added in 2003 All-Star year though.

So, now you are discounting fandom by saying ou would stop "buying the product" when the "quality diminishes"? So, in other words, you should give up cheering for a team because they do not have a winning record? Just give the loyalty up when the when the quality drops? Drop em like a lousy pair of jeans?

As for the ballpark, I remember seeing the new overhang on the ballpark BEFORE the All Star game. I cannot find anything except Wikipedia info...and I am not going to rely on that.

 

[speedracer]

Cher Monsieur Gagne,

Cessez la succion, s'il vous plait. Merci beaucoup.

Cordialement,

La Nation de Red Sox

 

[MrPryck2U]

Man, what a crazy day!

A couple of days ago, my bro gets comped some Mets tix up in the mezzanine box seats for Sunday's game. The Mets and the Marlins both play a sloppy game, but the Mets bang 4 home runs to beat Florida, 10-4. Oh yeah, Moises Alou hit 2 of those home runs.

Then, of course, there's the Yanks moving to only 4 games behind Boston in the AL East.

After the Mets game, we stopped off at the Lemon Ice King of Corona, which easily has the best Lemon Ices in the entire world! I got a peanut butter lemon ice. I'm a major peanut butter addict. Then it was back home on the Long Island Expressway east.

 

[SeattleVertigo]

Pins and needles time as a Red Sox fan. The Yankees offense is SCARY right now.

Fortunately, I've got two horses in the American League. Go Mariners! (Nobody saw this kind of season coming out of them this year.)

 

[No spoken words]

Thank you White Sox for rolling over and playing dead this weekend. Oy.

Here's hoping that the AL Divisional and Wildcard battles are tight and go down to the wire.

 

[Varitek]

Please feel free to win your division, Yankees. We'll be happy in Seattle with a wild card berth.

Although we'd REALLY prefer you not be in the playoffs at all, as we can beat you any old time we please ... except, apparently, in the playoffs.

If the Yankees win the division, we (the Sox) will be the wild card. So let's just work together to keep the Yankees out of the playoffs.

 

[Varitek]

Re: your form is losing it! baseball teams do not equal jeans.

So, now you are discounting fandom by saying ou would stop "buying the product" when the "quality diminishes"? So, in other words, you should give up cheering for a team because they do not have a winning record? Just give the loyalty up when the when the quality drops? Drop em like a lousy pair of jeans?

I completely agree, a baseball/sports team is totally different from another product. Part of it is about loyalty regardless of how good or bad the team is. If you aren't in it no matter what, then you are the definition of a bandwagon fan, plain and simple.

 

[phillyfan26]

Adam Eaton

This Yankees-Red Sox thing ... I don't know how to describe my thoughts, but I'm not surprised.