The dog days are here, and the stretch run looms a scant few weeks away. So before we start with the doubleheaders against the empire and the magic number calculations and all the hand wringing that is sure to befall us I wanted to touch on a few topics.
First I want to get one thing off my chest and get it out of the way. I have given praise to the current Sox ownership before out here, but I must take them to task for the shameless PR stunt they pulled during this past heat wave. We all were saddened to hear of the tragic loss of the life of a young mother-to-be Sox fan while at the game this past week. I don’t have a medical report to look at but I will assume that the heat of the day was at least a contributing factor. The Sox then quickly made a point of promoting their new cool misting fans (all 2 of them) and the little table they had set up where they handed out little cups of water. They even had Tina Cervasio doing a G-rated wet t-shirt demo of the misting fans. A few years ago, and admittedly during the reign of the previous ownership, I took a week off and attended eight games in seven days. This included a doubleheader on a day of oppressive heat similar to that which we all enjoyed last week. When the water vender came through the aisle I did a double take, the price of that little bottle of water had jumped to $4.50, you could even see where the 3 had been covered with a 4 (it’s $4.75 now). My friend and I instead went to the lemonade stand and got some, which cost less than the water and came with ice, drank the lemonade and then put water from the (only) drinking fountain we could find in order to have a second cool beverage. Now, again, I don’t have a medical report here, but if a young couple, who undoubtedly had already spent a great deal of money for tickets, parking, food and whatever else, had found something as simple as cool water to be only a buck or two they might have had their fill on such a hot day. Those bottles of water cost no more than fifty cents to the team, and probably a good deal less, making for a price that is now about ten times the cost.
Hot muggy days happen here every summer, it is hard to believe that it never occurred to anyone at Friendly Fenway to do anything other than make gobs of money off of it until after someone died. How about just charging a buck for the water like they do everywhere else?
Ok, I feel better now. Next on my mind is Youkilis, and I would like to hear if some splits can be (evil ones just lost 5-0 with mussina on the mound! Yippee!) gathered to prove this observation one way of the other. Seems to me that with Youk’s tendency to be patient and draw alot of pitches that the ‘book’ on him around the league has been to throw him strikes early, and get him behind in the count as he tends to not swing early. This strategy seemed to be working, he was falling behind and batting defensively and his average suffered. Recently he seems to have adjusted himself, and is sitting on those first pitches, nothing Nomaresque mind you, but as he has started ripping base hits on first pitches he has forced pitchers to be more honest against him, and his average has risen as a result.
I’m also glad to see him in the 5 spot, and Coco back leading off. Youk’s OBP can help to protect Manny, nothing like how Manny protects Papi, but more than Nixon has been able to do. With another insane power threat coming up after Youk in WMP we have a very scary lineup. Very very scary. Scary like going hunting with Dick Cheney after he’s had a few belts of whiskey. And a flask full of more in his hip pocket.
And I want everyone to promise me one thing; no more of this ‘appreciate this now because it is so rare’ stuff about the best of our sports heroes. Who out here is actually not appreciating the Manny and Papi show? Or Pedro a few years ago? Is this a problem? Was Bird throwing behind-the-back passes to an empty Garden? Is Brady going on TV asking for folks to come on out and watch some football in Friendly Foxboro? I think the fans around here are pretty smart, and that we do get it. Bob Ryan, as great a writer as he is, has been doing this for years and now I see it everywhere. So except for the kids who, well, are just kids and are excused for now, we really do get it. In fact we revel and roll around in the joy of it. We eat it, drink it, and if anything spend way too much time allowing our minds to marinate in it. Ruth-Gehrig, Foxx-Williams, Mantle-Maris, Matthews-Aaron, Manny-Papi. Right there with the best, it would be fun to see other great pairings, anyone got one better than those five?
Alright, I’ve ranted for long enough, and I’m hungry so I’m-a-gonna stop now and go cook dinner.
And yes, Papi is MVP. Anything else is as silly as not voting for Pedro as MVP in ’99. Ludicrous even.
