World Series Rooting Interest: Which Side Are Phillies Fans On?
by Wet Luzinski on Oct 25, 2010 10:00 AM EDT
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PrintAn intriguing conundrum settled into Phillies fans' collective consciousness Sunday, as the subset of fans who will persist in following the World Series mull their rooting interests.
So who will it be? The Texas Rangers, with zOMG CLIFF LEE and Jeff "Frenchie" Francoeur, or the San Francisco Giants, with PAT THE BAT, Cody F. Ross and Aaron "Winners' Burden" Rowand?
Take the poll below, which I deliberately left free of any silly or superfluous choices, such as "raking the lawn," "manscaping," or "re-introducing myself to my family." Dig down into that gristly, hustle-rific, veteran big-hearted Philadelphia Phillies fan gut you have. While you're there, may want to store the summer gear in the attic, and say 'sup! to the surly dude who is pounding his head into your stomach lining simply because it's so unfair that Desean Jackson is out. So unfair! Which team are you hoping will win? (Let's be clear here: This may not be the team you believe will win.)
In the comments, explain your choice.
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Rooting for Cliff Lee in this series…Go Rangers.
by JoshuaR on Oct 25, 2010 10:06 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Moar Giant Wins (4 please). Even with our WS in 2008 and the Cards in 2006, I am sick and tired of the “AL dominance” schtick (even if there is some truth to it). Go NL. Pure and simple.
And with all due respect — fuck Cliff Lee. Right or wrong, he’s not a Philly anymore and won’t be next year.
by Boundforbeach on Oct 25, 2010 10:14 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs
The AL "Dominance’ is usually a factor of interleague play, 4 games really doesn’t indicate that the NL was dominant.
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions
Rooting for the Giants.
I like more than enough of their players, they have a great SBN blog (for whatever that’s worth) and I really do think they have a good chance.
Rangers fans probably root for the Cowboys. Therefore, I’d prefer they wait another 49 years to reach the WS again. I’d like to see Lee win his 2 starts (he’s just awesome to watch when he is on his game).
Another way to phrase this question...
OR 
And I’m really not sure. I’m open to arguments either way.
Frenchy’s quote in which he totally burned the Mets made me hate him way less than Cody Ross. Also the Rangers won in spite of Francoeur and his .389 OPS. Rather, they beat the Yankees thanks to the efforts of awesome players like Hamilton, Cruz, Lee, and the Impaler. I really like all of those guys and would be happy to see them win a ring.
But on the other hand, I really do feel for the Giants. That fanbase has had its collective heart broken so many times. It wouldn’t bother me one bit to see them win, and hopefully erase the pain that 2002 caused. Guess I could go either way on this.
by ThinMountainAir on Oct 25, 2010 10:43 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Evil of two lessers.
I am not a witch.
by RememberthePhitans on Oct 25, 2010 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions
Francouer is easier to stomach
1. His comment about finally playing meaningful baseball in October was priceless- taking digs at the Mets wins ya points in these parts.
2. He is a role player- we (or at least those of us who are still watching) will only have to see him off and on- Cody Ross is going to be a chronic presence for the rest of the series.
3. At the rate things are going, he is less likely to be a difference maker than Ross (the hottest hitter on the Giants prior to his injury). Even if he wins, we will not have to deal with seeing him all over the place.
Also... there is no reason to root for either to do well....
While I am rooting for the Rangers, I am also rooting for Francouer to collect Sombreros (probably will only be hat tricks, though, as he often gets pulled late in the game).
Voted Ragners, I like Jeff Hamilton and Vlad
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 10:50 AM EDT reply actions
Not enough to get his name right
Josh Hamilton, that is.
I voted for the rangers. If they win, it means that doing hard drugs pays off, and that is the type of message Americans need to hear.
or i just find their style of play more fun to watch
also vlad <33
by Cole Stevens on Oct 25, 2010 10:53 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Giants.
If you are going to lose, might as well lose to the eventual champs…unless it is the Braves, Mets, Dodgers or Cardinals, in which case screw em.
All in all though, I could really careless who wins. There are guys on each team I like, (more so on the Giants) and guys I dislike(I’m talking about you Cody Ross) but at the end of the day, I would just like to see a good tight series.
"You can commit no mistake and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." - Jean-Luc Picard
How about the Giants in 7 with Choady going down in infamy as the first player ever with 7 straight golden sombreros?
by Boundforbeach on Oct 25, 2010 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions
Agreed. In this case, since the Giants are a likable team (built quite similarly to the ‘93 Phils, really), I’ll abandon my usual ways and root for the team that beat us. Besides, I always pull for the NL because I’m tired of it being treated like the redheaded stepchild to the Great and Powerful American League, Which is Vastly Superior in Every Way.
by Senor Octubre on Oct 25, 2010 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions
built quite similarly to the ‘93 Phils, really
Full of steroid users?
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Indeed. A bunch of baseball “outcasts,” as it were, trying to catch lightning in a bottle.
by Senor Octubre on Oct 25, 2010 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, see, if they can play baseball at a major league level, i don’t consider them outcasts or lovable losers or idiots
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 8:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Well see, I believe there’s a high percentage of idiots in the world, so obvoiusly there would be a lot of them in baseball.
Didn’t the red sox call themselves ‘idiots’ in 2004?
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 10:01 PM EDT up reply actions
I disagree
While in the context of greater society, they are not outcasts, I think it is fully possible for them to be un-wanted- to be casted off, waived, and traded away. I can also see how the lovable loser attitude can exist for teams with lots of lovable personalities, but not much in the winning department. Finally, idiots are everywhere- there are loads of great athletes with screws loose.
by dannijd on Oct 26, 2010 8:06 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
It’s honestly a toss-up for me. I voted Rangers, if only because I still really like Cliff Lee, but MCC is such a fun place, and the Giants are a pretty fun team to root for. Honestly, while I’ll root for the Rangers, it’s only really a de facto thing — I wouldn’t mind seeing either team win.
What’s up with the constant lovefest for McCovey Chronicles? Not you in particular, but it’s been a trendy thing to complement them lately. Granted they aren’t TC, but this is getting ridiculous to approve of a team based on thier SB Nation blog.
It’s funny how a blog can affect opinions that way. I know that TC has made me dislike Braves fans more and Amazin’ Avenue has made me like Mets fans more. I guess it has to do with subcultural similarities.
"Ninety percent of this game is half mental" - Yogi Berra (SI, May 14, 1979)
by bandwagonesque on Oct 25, 2010 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions
And think about the visitors to this blog who think differently of Phillies phans because of us.
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 4:22 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Truth
MCC is well-written, funny, passionate but not overly self-serious. (Same goes for sites like Amazin Avenue and Lookout Landing).
If sports aren’t fun, and funny, to read and/or write about, why bother?
http://www.thegoodphight.com
This. I don’t want my sports fandom to make my life worse. If I did, I’d cheer for the Pirates.
I am not a witch.
by RememberthePhitans on Oct 25, 2010 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions
No doubt it has to be the Rangers. I just hate that Giants team so much. Plus Cliff Lee is awesome, the manager has some crazy passion for the game, and the whole rest of the team seems like a great bunch of guys.
Rangers in 4.
Eagles- 4-2 and Kolb is looking better
I prefer the managers who have no passion for the game myself
Is washington the one who tested positive for drugs during the season or something?
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions
Yes, he tested positive for cocaine during the 2009 season.
"You can commit no mistake and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." - Jean-Luc Picard
they test managers too? Chollie’s results have to be pretty intense too after his medical issues. He’s prolly a walking medicine chest.
by Wet Luzinski on Oct 25, 2010 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions
Well someone tested him. I don’t know if that is standard practice for teams, or the league, or if maybe either party did it based on cause.
"You can commit no mistake and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." - Jean-Luc Picard
Washington is so 70’s.
I am not a witch.
by RememberthePhitans on Oct 25, 2010 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Hamilton and Vlad
I live in Raleigh so there’s that rooting interest, and Vlad simply will not be cheated at the plate (dude swings like he’d rather die than watch ’em go by) BUT I cannot stomach gratuitous TV shots of W.
Agnostically for Rangers in 5 with +/- 2 rainouts
"He's a bum...this one stinks...this jerk can't play."-- A father teaching his daughter the Phillies lineup from the program roster, the Vet, c.1998
Or Vlad just has horrible pitch selection
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, yeah, but his cricket swings (along with Ichiro’s) make me happy somehow
"He's a bum...this one stinks...this jerk can't play."-- A father teaching his daughter the Phillies lineup from the program roster, the Vet, c.1998
They amaze me- particularly when one of those well outside the zone cracks results in a hit- bonus points when they get extra bases.
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 4:24 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Rangers by a small margin, but this is actually a very good world series for baseball fans.
Also ruben presser makes it sound like he has no intention to sign Werth.
Flyers 10-11 season slogan: "Remember Emery?"
Not surprising. As much as we as fans would love to see it, both sides know that Werth is going to get money that the Phillies can not afford to pay. There is no use to Amaro making public statements that he knows the Phillies finances can not cover.
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 1:12 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Now werth is having a press conference
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Stuck on the road
Did he say anything interesting?
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 1:23 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I wouldn’t know – i got a text about it.
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions
He said that hes looking forward to the process(assuming that it means free agency) and that he was turning away questions about resigning saying that they would need to ask his agent [Boras].
Flyers 10-11 season slogan: "Remember Emery?"
Thanks. I understand why he is going, but I am still going to miss him.
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 4:25 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Can there be a neither option? Where neither team interests me, and I won’t be watching the World Series? I mean, if it’s on at the bar, I’ll watch, but seeing as The Phillies, Yankees, Pirates, Orioles or Athletics aren’t in it, I really don’t care.
inter arma enim silent leges
by CoburnsCuddleBuddy on Oct 25, 2010 11:22 AM EDT reply actions
No, I really wanted to force the choice, because even if there’s a weak affinity, there’s an affinity. Also, Phillies fans are doubly screwed, as we’lll either get to watch Cliff Lee getting doused with champagne or Pat Burrell.
I’m surprised at the overwhelming pro-Rangers results so far. With the Mets and Braves as exceptions (and even then, if they’re playing the Yankees I still hold my nose and have pulled a bit for them, even), and the White Sox in the AL (just because I see so many similarities in the fan bases and my college roommate was a Southsider), I’m almost always an NL guy. Of course, this year Pat the Bat has been such a muse for me, I can’t root against him. I can’t.
by Wet Luzinski on Oct 25, 2010 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions
will you be penning a final Burrell diary entry or interview? (hopes, hopes)
by Boundforbeach on Oct 25, 2010 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions
Oh, I’m definitely mulling it. We may have to catch up with PTB’s Saturday night’s escapades, the congratulatory text messaging, and his World Series Pervue.
by Wet Luzinski on Oct 25, 2010 11:44 AM EDT up reply actions
Revenge, I wants it. For me, it really is war in the playoffs. Losing to the eventual champion does nothing for me (happens in ‘Nova basketball all the time), because that assumes that somehow the Phillies need some sort of validation for being there or being eliminated, which they don’t.
Rooting interests are rarely rational, and even though Cliff Lee getting a ring will bring out all the crybabies in the Delaware Valley, go get you some, Cliff! (It can’t be any worse than listening to the crybabies wrongly blame Howard)
Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.
Technically you'll watch Cliff get doused with Mountain Dew
As the Rangers don’t do champagne, due to Hamilton’s history.
And CJ WIlson (I think) is a non drinker
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions
CJ Wilson is Straight Edge and helped come up with the idea.
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 1:14 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I’m old – can someone explain to me what straight edge means? To me it’s a ruler
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions
no sex, no drugs, no rock n roll
inter arma enim silent leges
by CoburnsCuddleBuddy on Oct 25, 2010 2:48 PM EDT up reply actions
try telling Ian Mackaye that straight edge means no rock n roll.
by perfectdepth on Oct 25, 2010 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions
I thought straight edge evolved from punk music- I am sure there is tons of rock and roll!
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 3:17 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
It did - in part
It arose mostly from the DC scene where it was popularized by Minor Threat, but also In NYHC where Youth of Today was all about it.
Technically in that world it’s no premarital sex, no drugs, no alcohol. It had been around before then, but that’s where the term got popularized more.
Pros of the Giants
Lincecum is a cool guy, has sweet ESPN commercials, likes the marijuana and reminds me of Dazed and Confused, a cult favorite of mine.
Orange and Black is the same as the Flyers colors. I would have gotten a SF hat, but opted for the Orioles hat for the reason that I believed the Giants and Phils would end up clashing. Good choice in the end
Negatives of the Giants
Pat Burrel is a douchebag who I have zero love for and enjoy seeing him strike out endlessly.
Brian Wilson, whom I give many respect to for honoring his dad after each save, I can’t quite take seriously because he dyes his beard. But, he did wear orange cleets for awhile, so it almost negatives his tomfoolery
Positives for the Rangers
Nolan Ryan is a bad ass who gives noogies to other players, and watches the games with the commonfolk
Cliff Lee is a cool guy
Negatives for the Rangers
Frenchie is a douchebag
So, I guess in the end, I’ll be rooting for the Giants, because of orange cleats, color scheme, and a skinny ass pitcher who loves the bud. I am a man of simple things
inter arma enim silent leges
by CoburnsCuddleBuddy on Oct 25, 2010 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Pat Burrel is a douchebag who I have zero love for and enjoy seeing him strike out endlessly.
I get it now
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I never said it was a good analysis. But I had to make a decision
inter arma enim silent leges
by CoburnsCuddleBuddy on Oct 25, 2010 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I was referring to a more global understanding of your ‘point of view’
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Ah, thinking I’m a woman who was discarded after a one night stand with PTB?
Negative! I just don’t like the guy
inter arma enim silent leges
by CoburnsCuddleBuddy on Oct 25, 2010 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Not really what I was going for, it just explains a lot
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions
I think you’ve bested me this time in the intellectual war
inter arma enim silent leges
by CoburnsCuddleBuddy on Oct 25, 2010 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions
You forgot the newest reason to hate Burrell!
After striking out, he yelled at Doc!
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 1:16 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I wish you guys didn’t have to link to the Yahoo Sports and Fanhouse articles—just reading the titles in the righthand column anger me. You just know they are full of stupid, especially Steve Phillips’ World Series Breakdown.
Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.
Maybe you should start another rant thread. The last one was pretty popular.
by Boundforbeach on Oct 25, 2010 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions
Ultimately it’s the price we pay for a lawn to play on.
by Wet Luzinski on Oct 25, 2010 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions
I paid for that lawn!
I am not a witch.
by RememberthePhitans on Oct 25, 2010 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Giants
I like Timmeh, though that is close to being offset by my dislike for San-chez (“san-shay”). I like Buster. I like PTB.
Cliff was a passing fling during a summer session of college — hot, intense, brief. That’s not to say that I don’t cherish the memories, but it was just a moment in time, and I’ve moved on.
I also have a visceral dislike of Nolan Ryan’s old-schoolness.
Plus, GO NL!
I am not a witch.
by RememberthePhitans on Oct 25, 2010 11:54 AM EDT reply actions
I also have a visceral dislike of Nolan Ryan’s old-schoolness.
This is actually a pretty compelling point. While I think I still will root Rangers, I’d hate to see Nolan’s whole “we don’ need no steenking pitch counts” routine validated. Pitchers are already an endangered species as it is.
I forgot to mention my intense dislike of the fat panda and all the hoopla that surrounds his mediocreness (not to mention fatness)
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions
How many pitchers has he killed trying to validate this theorem- more or less than Dusty Baker?
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 7:13 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Though I have a soft spot for Ryan, after he got rushed on the mound late in his career and proceeded to completely dismantle the idiot who rushed him (can’t remember who it was, but I do remember seeing him in a headlock getting punched repeatedly in the face.)
That was Robin Ventura. He was 26 at the time while Ryan was 44. Moral of the story: do not mess with Nolan Ryan.
by ThinMountainAir on Oct 25, 2010 1:08 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Makes me wonder, if Moyer comes back and hits someone (someone young, like, say, Starlin Castro), and they charge the mound, would Jamie be issuing a headlock?
I doubt it. Moyer seems like too much of a class act to do that.
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 5:13 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Well, what would he do? Stand there and take it? Walk away? Or would he unleash a CLASSY ass-whoopin’?
I don’t know- I just can’t see Moyer putting anyone in a headlock and punching him repeatedly.
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 7:15 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Moyer will take a sstep out to his left, and just trip the guy politely, doffing his cap
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 8:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Moral of the story
Don’t charge the pitcher if your specialty is getting punched in the face. If you aren’t bigger and more bad ass than the pitcher, jog over to first and plot revenge.
Cliff was a passing fling during a summer session of college — hot, intense, brief. That’s not to say that I don’t cherish the memories, but it was just a moment in time, and I’ve moved on.
You hear that? That’s the sound of me applauding you. I could not agree more.
by Senor Octubre on Oct 25, 2010 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions
More importantly, the replacement is much hotter
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t know about that… Don’t get me wrong- I love Halladay, and he is definitely easy on the eyes… But Lee is too…
It may have only been a summer fling… But it is one that I won’t forget- it still makes me smile, and for that, so long as it does not impact the Phillies and he does not play for the evil empire, I will have a soft spot in my heart for him.
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 3:21 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I was using the metaphor, I wasn’t talking about actual hotness
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions
i laughed out loud.
"I make love to pressure." - Stephen Jackson
"My passion is more passionate than ever." - Greg Paulus
by joe_digiacomo on Oct 25, 2010 10:17 PM EDT up reply actions
I was going to go with the Giants until I saw Uribe run a victory lap on Saturday night. Now its Cliff Lee and the Rangers.
Baseball: the only sport whose commissioner wants you to think it is still 1960.
by phillies fan in bowie on Oct 25, 2010 11:55 AM EDT reply actions
while I do have a soft spot for our left coast senior circuit brethren, the bitter taste of defeat and the forced antics of Showboatin’ Brian Wilson pushes me toward the Rangers ever so slightly.
the forced antics of Showboatin’ Brian Wilson
But the American Way, this is. Why fight it? At least he isn’t vomiting forth bland platitudes in an effort to offend nobody.
I am not a witch.
by RememberthePhitans on Oct 25, 2010 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions
meh, it’s too calculated for me. it’s like someone gave him a Yogi Berra mad-libs and he’s just reading off the pages. come up with your own schtick, amirite?
by perfectdepth on Oct 25, 2010 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm conflicted.
I had planned to root for the Giants not named Ross against Rangers not named Lee.
As it turns out, though, I don’t think I can. I’m still too butt-hurt to root for the Giants. I like a lot of their players (Timmy, Pat, Prof. Rowand), but the orange and the beards and the whole, “oh, we’ve got an offense too!” nonsense just has me hoping for some comuppance. Proper revenge will have to come next year.
As for the Rangers, between Hamilton, Vladimir, Clifton, and Michael Young, I can’t help but root for them. Also Nolan Ryan FTW!
It turns out I don’t have an original thought about this, as is often the case. I have to agree here with Phrozen in that I thought I would root for the G-men. I thought I would be a bigger man and less bitter, but, alas, I am not.
The potential outcomes are interesting in that a Rangers win means the Giants got lucky with the Phillies and their “pop-gun offense” finally regressed to mean. A Giants win means the best team beat the Phillies. Either way, rationalization FTW!
"Ninety percent of this game is half mental" - Yogi Berra (SI, May 14, 1979)
by bandwagonesque on Oct 25, 2010 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions
I think I’d like Lee to win his games and the Giants to win the series.
Part of it is the good/evil gap between San Francisco and Dallas. The former is the best city in the U.S., the latter is populated with Cowboys fans.
But while I’d like to see a San Fran parade, my prediction is Texas in three five. (Seriously, I think the Rangers are a vastly better team, and the Giants are out of luck; wouldn’t they have to be? But their pitchers are sufficiently talented that they’ll probably steal a game.)
The Giants have been lucky... But
I don’t know that their luck has to run out here. They have good pitching (when it executes better than any the Rangers have seen yet), and that will be able to keep the Giants in close (read low scoring) games. Outside of Lee, the Rangers pitching is pretty ordinary, so I would almost call the games he does not pitch jump balls. Considering that Lincecum is no slouch himself and has a delivery that will be unfamiliar to Rangers not named Molina, those games may even be close. I remember a commentator saying that at some point all of the lucky breaks are a sign of destiny. Maybe it is.
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 1:21 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
When you have pitching like the giants do you need a lot less luck at the plate it seems
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Isn't that becoming the Phillies as well?
The better you are on the mound, the less you have to be able to do at the dish (assuming of course that the defense does not leak like a sieve.
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 3:28 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I'm going to watch every inning, but...
while I understand why you didn’t include the other choices, I think “couldn’t care less” should be a choice.
If one couldn’t care less why would one vote, or watch a single pitch?
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions
The former is the best city in the U.S.
All depends who you ask, plus they seem to be running their best chefs out of town
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 1:19 PM EDT reply actions
How close is Austin to DFW – I need to know which city has more pride
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 1:23 PM EDT reply actions
Austin is a 3-hour drive south of Dallas. And Austin is a MUCH more awesome city (I’ve lived in both).
That said, part of the reason I’d rather the Rangers win is because I have a lot of friends down there in Texas and this is an especially enjoyable moment for them.
I know austin is much more awesome than DFW but there was specific reason i chose Austin when trying to compare it to SF – but sigh
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Rangers fans are Cowboys fans
Rooting for the Giants because they’re NL and they’re not in Texas.
by ColoradoPhilsFan on Oct 25, 2010 1:26 PM EDT reply actions
Yeah, but see, at least these Cowboys fans actually live in Texas…so, you know, actually are rooting for the home team. My issue has never been with Cowboys fans in general, it’s with Cowboys fans in the Northeast.
Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.
Nope, it’s all cowboys fans, wherever they live, they are evil, because they are cowboys fans, and their crashing and burning this season makes up a lot for the pending 8-8 eagles season
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions
OK, you’ve convinced me. But I still think most Cowboys fans couldn’t give a rip about the Rangers so I have no problem with rooting for them in the WS.
Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.
Although the Rangers winning is giving sportscasters in Dallas the ability to talk about something other than how the Cowboys are going to Hell in a handbasket.
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 3:32 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
The cowboys, like the redskins and numerous other professional sports teams are screwed for as long as their idiot egotistical owner thinks he should be in charge of things that he has no knowledge about
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I am actually waiting for Jerry Jones to try coaching the team himself!
That being said, I think the smartest franchises are those like the Phillies, Eagles, and Patriots, where the owner is smart enough to realize that while he may be a good business man, he is not a (insert name of sport here) guy, hires others with the knowledge and then (and this is the most important part) trusts them enough to let them do their jobs without meddling too much.
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 4:39 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
There are a lot more smart owners than bad owners in professional sports, it just so happens that a lot of the bad owners own teams I despise as well :)
Though Comcast is another category of terrible ownership
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 8:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Totally agree.
The examples I gave are from teams that I root for. It always helps when the incompetence occurs with teams that you don’t like… It makes mocking and hating them easier.
by dannijd on Oct 26, 2010 9:01 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
It’s wrong to enjoy a solid hit that leads to a broken collarbone – right?
RIGHT?
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 26, 2010 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Also, the better the Rangers do, the more focus they take away from the Cowboys. One of my main issues with the Cowboys is that Jerry Jones wants the team to be considered the center of the known universe. So if the Rangers can make people in the DFW area ignore that wretched excuse for a football team (even for a little while), we’ll have some lovely schadenfreude.
by ThinMountainAir on Oct 25, 2010 1:51 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Also, the better the Rangers do, the more focus they take away from the Cowboys.
Because the better the phillies do – the less the eagles are important?
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, doesn’t really work. You just get headlines like, “Why can’t the Cowboys be more like the Rangers?” (like Eagles got with Phillies winning the WS)
Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.
We are a football nation, baseball may wax nostalgic, but football is more america’s ‘past time’ than baseball. Not just in fan watching, but in participation at the ‘lower levels’ as well. It’s just easier to play pick up football :)
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Watching football also takes less committment. It’s one game a week. Plus, in the south, it’s all football, all the time. I would bet some money that in many cities in Texas, high school football is more popular than MLB.
Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.
You would be amazed at how much some of these towns pay for HIGH SCHOOL football stadiums… And how tough it is to get football tickets in many of them- my dad told me that a guy he worked with put his name on the season ticket waiting list in the town where he lived the day his son was born- in hopes of having tickets to see him by the time the son was a senior.
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 4:42 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
They pay for them because, just like in college, they bring in tons of money.
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 8:55 PM EDT up reply actions
I understand the why’s of it. I just still find a multi-million dollar PUBLIC high school stadium more than a little crazy.
by dannijd on Oct 26, 2010 9:03 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
As long as they aren’t funded by school taxes and the like
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 26, 2010 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions
I read about at least one that was.
by dannijd on Oct 26, 2010 3:03 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Right, I want to see headlines like that. Jerry Jones wants the Cowboys to be the most popular team in the country. Remember the “America’s Team” nonsense? But if suddenly the Cowboys aren’t the most popular team in Dallas? Oh, that would drive Jethro crazy.
by ThinMountainAir on Oct 26, 2010 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m rooting for the Giants because, as I have said many a time, I lived there for a few years, and the Phillies sucked so I became a Giants fan as well. And those few years included the 2002 World Series. And man oh man was that heartbreaking. I actually cried. I also genuinely like the entire team (minus Choady and Sanchez). I just feel no connection to the Rangers – the fact that Cliff Lee was here for part of last season just doesn’t really do it for me, no matter how good he was. The only players on the Rangers who I genuinely feel emotion for are Vlad, who I love (mainly because he doesn’t wear batting gloves), and Frenchy, who I despise. Finally, JT Snow was the man. So yea, Go Giants.
Rangers, I guess
I won’t be disappointed either way.
Things I want to see:
1. Cliff Lee awesomeness
2. Pat Burrell home runs
3. Jeff Francoeur getting a ring
Things I don’t want to see:
1. Josh Hamilton (can’t stand)
2. Brian Wilson
3. Cody Ross getting any hits
3. Jeff Francoeur getting a ring
You want to see that why?
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 2:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I can understand 1-3 for the things you want to see, as well as 2-3 for what you don’t want, but what’s wrong with Joshn Hamilton? I’m not being a smartass, I’m really curious. He seems like such a likeable guy, to me.
Like Favre, et al, people get tired of having the same story shoved down their throat at every turn. I practically know Hamilton’s story by memory, for crap’s sake—better than I know some of the Phillies players’.
Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.
That’s part of it. But I personally loathe his preachiness. It’s great that he overcame his addiction but I wish he would shut up about it.
he would probably shut up about it if people stopped asking him about it.
Contreras and I were just looking at him eating this iguana thing over white rice and he put it away like it was a double cheeseburger, you know?
by LeepinLizardz on Oct 25, 2010 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Eh.
I don’t find him preachy. It’s not like he’s got “Praise Jesus,” on his jersey or he’s grabbed the PA mike and led the audience in prayer. He responds when he’s questioned or whatever.
In any case, overcoming an addiction of that sort is almost like being given a second life. I’m sure his faith is based largely on that.
That’s part of it. But I personally loathe his preachiness. It’s great that he overcame his addiction but I wish he would shut up about it.
So you just hate all recovered addicts? I know a few, preaching seems to be part of it. I never really liked the whole higher power aspect of 12 steps. Too much religion for me
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 25, 2010 8:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Correct.
An addict is an addict. They may not be high or drunk or whatever, but once an addict always an addict.
It’s unfortunate, and I have a lot of respect for Hamilton for coming through it with enough left in the tank to be successful at the most difficult task in sports.
There have been several in my family who were not so able.
A family friend of mine had a horrible alcohol problem in his youth, but has now been sober, in his words, “longer than I was drinking.” Despite this length of time, he still considers himself an alcoholic. Major props to Josh Hamilton for kicking the habit and becoming an absolute beast of a baseball player. If being a Christian helps him stay clean, more power to him.
by ThinMountainAir on Oct 26, 2010 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions
Rangers
I like Lee, Washington, Hamilton, Guerrero, Ryan, Andrus, and Young. I’m really glad they beat the Yankees soundly. But I’m not a fan of Cruz or the Metroplex (except the fact that they have a highway interchange called The MixMaster). I do not care that Rangers fans are also Cowboys fans. I like Dirk Nowitzki. I hate the fact that they have the same name as a hockey team I loathe. But the name does remind me of the best TV miniseries of all time, Lonesome Dove. I do not like Governor Perry.
I like Lincecum, Huff, Bochy, Posey, and Wilson. I’ve always liked the Bay Area. But I don’t like Sandoval, F Sanchez, or Cain (the last for no good reason I can think of). I always liked Nate Thurmond. I hate the fact that they have the same name as a football team I loathe. I like Mayor Newsom.
It’s close, but Ron Washington tips the scale for me. I am really pulling for him.
Giants
Giants
Like Lincecum and Burrell, and they’re the National League team. Literally the only things going for the Rangers are Cliff Lee and Vladimir Guerrero, whom I’ve always liked.
http://www.thegoodphight.com
It was always drilled into my head by my father (a big Phils fan) that you ALWAYS root for the NL team in the series. So, yes, that’s a thing for me too. Also I do like Lincecum & Pat and even Beardface just because he’s weird.
by Putsy Caballero. on Oct 25, 2010 6:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Went with the Giants...
…though for what it’s worth, I’ll be happy with either team. It’s good to get some new blood in the mix, and while there are a couple of players that I don’t really like all that much (Francoeur, Ross, Sanchez), it doesn’t really tilt my rooting interests in either direction since there are a bunch of guys I really like on each team (Lee, Lincecum, Posey, Holland, Burrell, etc.). Push comes to shove, I really like San Francisco as a city, so that’s the thumb on the scale for me.
I’m rooting for Cliff Lee to win his games, but the Giants to take the series.
It really comes down to the fact that it wouldn’t sit right with me seeing residents of the Dallas area happy. Also, I like pretty much everyone on the Giants’ roster not named Ross. Which is not to say I have any particular antipathy to anyone on the Rangers roster aside from Francoeur, but the Dallas thing just overrides it all.
Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.
How wild would it be to be the pitcher who was 4-0 in two consecutive WS and be on the losing side each time? He’d be the Fran Tarkenton of baseball.
by Wet Luzinski on Oct 25, 2010 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions
I’d rather see the Giants lose, even though I don’t really care for Dallas sports fans. I’d like to think that the Rangers are better than the Giants, rather the other way around, because it would make the Phillies loss a little more tolerable. To think of the Giants winning the World Series after losing to them in an NLCS that the Phils would probably win 7 out of 10 times would be all the more gut-wrenching. It would make me feel that the title was much closer within reach.
?
If the Rangers are better than the Giants, and the Phillies lost to the Giants:
Rangers > Giants > Phillies
Whereas if the Giants win, you can convince yourself:
Giants > Rangers/Phillies
by Senor Octubre on Oct 25, 2010 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m hoping the Giants win so that next season, the Phillies have a chance to meet them in the NLCS and crush their dreams of repeating. Revenge wouldn’t be as sweet if they lost the World Series.
Other than that, I really don’t care much who wins it all. Better to not care who wins than to hate whoever wins regardless (like the NBA championship this year… bleh). I just hope to see some good baseball played.
Plus, on the very outside chance that Cliff Lee really does want to come back to Philly, it would likely stand a much better chance of happening if the Rangers didn’t win the WS.
by TwistyWristy on Oct 25, 2010 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions
It is not going to come down to where he wants to play where Philly is concerned
The organization does not have the money to bring him back and is pitching deep enough that the money it does have needs to be spent on the parts it does not have (a right handed power hitter, bullpen and bench help).
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 5:10 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Cliff Lee never needs the bullpen when he starts because he can go the whole yard, he can also pitch relief when the need arises on a day’s rest. Also, unknown to many people he is an excellent power switch hitter. I suppose when you think about it, it’s not too surprising considering he’s been in the American League for so long and they use a DH. 2009 was a down year for him and if he were to come back to the National League, there’s no doubt in my mind that based on his AWSM value he’d be a .325 hitter and lead the league in slugging percentage.
There’s no way the organization can’t have the money to bring him back because he’d fill the needs of bullpen help and a right handed power hitter. There won’t be a need for bench help either. Since Cliff Lee will be both a starter and on the bullpen, this will simultaneously shame and inspire the other pitchers to help out more. Oswalt will play LF, Jamie Moyer can play shortstop and Cole Hamels can fill the role of a backup catcher (there is a rumor that in high school, he blocked home plate so ferociously, that he knocked the runner into the pitching mound and then snarled and barked at the runner on second, scaring him off the bag then gunning him down.)
by TwistyWristy on Oct 25, 2010 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Cliff Lee
Can I just ask Cliff Lee fans why they feel so strongly? I’m not being sarcastic or anything, I’m genuinely curious. Yes, what he did for us down the stretch last year was fantastic. Yes, he’s a phenomenal postseason pitcher. But ultimately, he was only a Phillie for half a year, and it’s not even like we won the WS. I understand that he seems like a nice guy and only had nice things to say about Philadelphia and all, but he’s lifted to almost godlike status, and I just don’t get it.
It’s in part because of how he carried himself. He’s like the Mike Sweeney of pitching, but also among the best in the business.
Also, this.
That .gif is the main reason for me. He’s a smooth operator.
Contreras and I were just looking at him eating this iguana thing over white rice and he put it away like it was a double cheeseburger, you know?
by LeepinLizardz on Oct 25, 2010 7:27 PM EDT up reply actions
This...
Sometimes a player is not here long but just makes memories… It is the magic that Lee bright to the 2009 regular and post season, his attitude, the two World Series starts, and those catches.
Think about if Oswalt leaves after this season (don’t even think about it Smuggles). He will always have a special place in my heart- his good performance, goofy attitude (making faces behind Dubee on national TV was priceless), his stint as a left fielder, and the slide have insured that.
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 7:53 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I don’t really get it either, but I think among some fans there is a lack of closure. He pitched great in last year’s postseason and fans didn’t get a chance to show their appreciation. Suddenly he was gone.
That’s a good way of thinking about it, I’d say. My analytical brain says so what, my reptile brain says that I never got a chance to say goodbye. It’s not a good reason, or even partial reason to like a pitcher, but as has been well documented in these parts, fan affinity doesn’t have many good explanations.
This just won me over to Brian Wilson… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrkSElfm7Lk&feature=player_embedded#t=0m35s
Phils plane almost crashed on Friday morning, listen here
Craziness. Glad everything is okay. Someone’s gonna get in trouble for that.
Contreras and I were just looking at him eating this iguana thing over white rice and he put it away like it was a double cheeseburger, you know?
by LeepinLizardz on Oct 25, 2010 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions
They need the extra room for the money Howard isn’t earning. rimshot
by Senor Octubre on Oct 25, 2010 8:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Might have been to accommodate all the extra people travelling with the team for the playoffs.
by dannijd on Oct 25, 2010 8:21 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Recovered enough to watch
Will root for the Giants for these reasons:
- Little Timmy, brilliant.
- The Beard, love him.
- George W. Bush, hate him.
- Cliff Lee, enough already.
- Baseball is supposed to represent a city, not a state.
- If the team that beats your beloved team loses, then your beloved team seems less great.
I felt like I thought it hit me - Chase Utley
What’s with the state-based teams, anyway? Florida? Texas? Especially when both states have other teams! Selig should force them to change their names.
Looks like it’s called “Miami Ballpark”… for now.
Check out the aquarium home-plate backstops on here… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Ballpark... evidently they’ll be able to take foul balls.
I am surprised that the Marlins are putting something so expensive in their backstops… And that PETA has not launched a protest.
by dannijd on Oct 26, 2010 12:05 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I don’t mind them. The “Texas Rangers” were are a legendary organization. I’ve never heard of the Dallas or Arlington Rangers.
Or Angelenos about the California Angels. I don’t know, but I see your point. You’re saying you wouldn’t be happy if it was the Pennsylvania Pirates or Pennsylvania Steelers. I tend to think that over time it becomes just a name, and people stop thinking of it as meaning that the team literally represents the entire state.
I’d be pissed if the Pirates were called the Pennsylvania Pirates.
Maybe you’re right, but I can’t see myself not caring if it happened in a place relevant to me. It’s like “America’s Team.” They’re not my team, that’s for damn sure.
Screw that, the patriots get SIX states
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 26, 2010 10:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Lol… That’s what happens when Boston won’t give the team a stadium.
by dannijd on Oct 26, 2010 11:03 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
The Cardinals should call themselves the American Southwest Cardinals :)
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 26, 2010 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Whatever floats their boat!
On a more serious note, my favorite sports team geography annoyance is sports team’s based out of Northern New Jersey billing themselves as “New York”…
by dannijd on Oct 26, 2010 11:55 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Well I can’t blame them. I wouldn’t want to be associated with New Jersey if I had a choice
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 27, 2010 12:02 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm with you
We moved from Philly to NJ when I was 9, and I lived there until I left for grad school. I like NJ.
I will never understand people’s infatuation with denouncing New Jersey as some wasteland.
"You can commit no mistake and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." - Jean-Luc Picard
Well see, the Angels didn’t even like being known as the California angels as they aren’t any more. But the los angeles angels of anaheim did not get the angles more los angeles fans.
Winning helps though – the dodgers disaster and implosion helps too
by SportingFanaticism on Oct 26, 2010 10:29 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s partly because “Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim” is a stupid name. Imagine the Philadelphia Phillies of South Philadelphia. Or the Baltimore Orioles of Camden Yards.
They should just revert to Los Angeles Angles and be happy.
Cliff Lee
I admit. I’ve tried to turn away. Still a huge fan. He’s awesome. Will also be a fan until the day he puts on a Yankees hat.
"A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a word from Harry Kalas painted a thousand pictures."
-Doug Glanville
Not that this is likely
But I’m going to have a hard time rooting for him if he winds up with the Red Sox or Mets.
If he winds up in the division it will be tough for me too- I think that is right up there with signing with the Evil Empire in terms of things that would keep me from rooting for him. I am ok with the Red Sox- they are the team with the most financial ability to chase down the Yankees on a yearly basis, and the enemy of my enemy is kind of my friend.
by dannijd on Oct 26, 2010 12:07 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I was one of many millions
Who rooted for the Red Sox against the Yankees in 2004 (not to mention 2003 and whenever they met up in the past) and then for them to win the Series and break the “Curse”. In my case, this was mainly so I would stop having to hear about the Curse every time the Yankees and Red Sox played, or every time the Red Sox got near the World Series.
While talk of the Curse has died down, Yankees/Red Sox has subsequently been pimped by ESPN et al to absurd levels and the Red Sox have basically become Yankees Lite so now as far as I’m concerned they’re Public Enemy #2. I will hold my nose and root for them if they’re playing the Yankees but that’s it. I think I would root for the Mets over the Sox should the Mets make the Series.
HAHA
Talk about hypotheticals…
"A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a word from Harry Kalas painted a thousand pictures."
-Doug Glanville
2003 was when I adopted the Red Sox as my AL team!
I had an evil law school roommate who was a huge Yankees fan- lived in a Yankees cap, watched the post season with friends and a rabid obsession in the living room. She was a classic mean girl- pretty, loads of money (she spent my entire clothes budget for the term on one purse), surrounded by cronies. I started rooting for the Red Sox because I could see how much she hated them (and as a Philly fan, I knew the pain of a long wait for a championship). When they beat the Yankees to advance to the World Series I was overjoyed because I knew that was torturing her. The Sox winning the Fall Classic was just the icing on the cake. I have since fallen out of like with the Sox, but still much prefer them to the Evil Empire.
by dannijd on Oct 26, 2010 5:21 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
For real. I went to college in upstate New York. The whole place is infested with Yankees fans. I lived with basically the same group of guys my whole college career, and four of them root for the Yankees. Listening to them talk about the same mindless bullshit all the time, to say nothing of their insistence that the TV had to be tuned to YES whenever a Yankee game was on, fostered a deep hatred of that team in my heart.
by ThinMountainAir on Oct 26, 2010 6:56 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm rooting for Cliff Lee
And an epic 7 game series. I don’t really care who wins it, I just want to see 7 more games before the long winter.
Cliffy Boy
I’m going for Cliffy Boy, no doubt and Big Boy Nolan Ryan.
The Giants are a great team, great Cinderally story, but they are a little too corny for me.
This Giants team IMO probably won’t win over this Texas team unless they really outplay them, and the Rangers just flat out play like garbage. If it is a bunch of 1 run games again and the Giants just squeak by that will be a little corny.
Texas is a more complete squad and up to this point they have proven themselves to be the best team in baseball.
I’m going Rangers in 5 games 4-1.
From Yahoo Sports...
Conventional wisdom has it that the Philadelphia Phillies don’t have enough money in the budget to satisfy whatever agent Scott Boras has envisioned for right fielder Jayson Werth(notes) this offseason but Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. is singing a different tune.
Amaro told reporters yesterday hat the team would love to retain Werth and has enough cash to do so, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, but it also “depend(s) on what the ask is” and “how it will affect other things.”
When Amaro spoke yesterday, he said he would be talking to Boras in the next 48 hours, though the expectation is that Werth negotiations will go far into the offseason, a typical tactic for Boras.
“What is going to drive the bus is Jayson and Scott,” Amaro said, according to the Inquirer. “Typically these things don’t move particularly quickly.”
"You can commit no mistake and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." - Jean-Luc Picard
The only hope in my eyes about the Scott Boras thing is that I expected Madson to get wayyyy more than 3 years and 12 million.
by Clyde Simmons on Oct 26, 2010 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions
There is that option...
Plus Boras has been known to overplay his hand. Ask Johnny Damon.
by dannijd on Oct 26, 2010 12:08 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
There is that option...
Plus Boras has been known to overplay his hand. Ask Johnny Damon.
by dannijd on Oct 26, 2010 12:32 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I am moving to Texas this weekend. Given the fact that I now hate the Giants and there stupid just for men beards, I have to cheer for the Rangers since I will definitely not be cheering for the Cowboys.
Depends. Houston is hideous, and Dallas barely better. But Austin, San Antonio, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Del Rio—I’d be OK with those.
None of the above. Beaumont. Work transferred me, although I did have to accept.
by Clyde Simmons on Oct 26, 2010 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions
So, Houston, basically
I hope you adore heat and humidity.
Way to go New York
http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=5729471
"You can commit no mistake and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." - Jean-Luc Picard
I saw that and posted it on the other thread as well. A lot of bad behaviour in NY this postseason what with the beer bottles tossed into the Rangers dugout, etc. Why can’t the national media see that this type of thing is prevalent anywhere people care too much about their team?
Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.
Oh the humanity. I’m guessing that will cost the Yankees a few more million. I’m guessing one can put a price on hurt feelings?
by Boundforbeach on Oct 26, 2010 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I honestly don’t care. I’ll watch the games for sure, but I really can’t muster up a rooting interest here. The Rangers are a team I probably forgot even existed a few times. While in some ways I hate the Giants after the NLCS, I also have to admit that there’s nothing particularly hateable about them independent of the fact that they beat us.
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Can we get a poll?
It seems that a lot of people decided who they are rooting for based on Cliff Lee. I’d be curious to see a vote specifically on whether people still consider themselves fans, root against his success, or have completely moved on from him.
"A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a word from Harry Kalas painted a thousand pictures."
-Doug Glanville
A lot of people still seem to love him. Which I understand, seeing how well he pitched, but I personally have moved on. He did have really nice things to say about the team and Philly itself, but other than that, what’s the difference between Clifton and Pete Rose on the ‘80 team? Hell, Pete Rose even won the World Series here, and no one is/was that big on him (I don’t think. I was dead at the time.) I do love him for what he did here, but I tend to think of it as a fond memory rather than having a continued attachment to him. Although that fly ball catch in the World Series was pretty awesome
by FearTheTurtIe on Oct 27, 2010 12:55 AM EDT up reply actions
I think of what I feel about Cliff Lee as a continued fondness due to some great memories. I was a baby when Pete Rose was here, so I do not know what the difference is. At this point, though, I think it is hard to gauge feelings on Rose- a lot of time has passed, and it has been found out that he gambled, and that soured a lot of people (including my grandfather) to him.
I was dead at the time.
so you’re saying you’re a zombie? ;)
big difference between Lee and Rose is that Lee is, by all accounts, a humble and low-key guy. Rose is kind of a douche.
by perfectdepth on Oct 27, 2010 9:27 AM EDT up reply actions
And right there is the reason one is remembered fondly and the other would not have been even in his time.
by dannijd on Oct 27, 2010 9:45 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
For me, Cliff Lee is like Mike Sweeney or Jamie Moyer, except more skillful. He’s a cheerful upbeat guy who seems to legitimately enjoy what he’s doing. Therefore, except in unusual circumstances, I want him to succeed.
To me, any positive feelings from last year were quickly overwhelmed by the months of whining in the media:
“Why did they trade Cliff Lee?” “Why couldn’t they have both Lee and Halladay?” “Why didn’t they get any real players for him?”
Since I believed they a) couldn’t sign him, and b) would have never traded for Halladay if they were going to keep Lee, it was all pointless. It wasn’t Lee’s fault of course, but it turned what should have been a positive early part of the season into torture. There really wasn’t any topic or discussion that couldn’t quickly be poisoned by “if we hadn’t traded Lee…”
So I’m not proud of it, but I am a bit gleeful seeing him give up a couple of runs tonight.
The media did not change how I felt about either side of the Lee and Halladay trades… time, a Blue Jays fan friend who loved Halladay and was upset to see him go (and who coaxed me into being open minded faster than I thought) and watching Halladay pitch caused me to warm to him. Lee, who I liked when he was traded away, because of his attitude and play is still loved for how he played- and no amount of media noise will change that.
To clarify, when I said the media, it was at least in part, if not in large part, due to fans commenting on blogs and on call-in shows.
And while it wasn’t Lee’s fault, he didn’t help matters by indicating that a deal could have been worked out if only the Phillies had negotiated with him. Which I took as damage control by him and his agent to make sure he didn’t look unreasonably demanding, and thereby hurt his chances when he entered free agency.
In Lee’s defense, I think he was very stunned when he was traded to Seattle- he may well have expected that he and the Phillies would have worked out. I may be being very Pollyanna about this- and I will admit that I have my doubts), but I believe that Lee did want to stay here, thus making his comments to the media at least somewhat true.
by dannijd on Oct 29, 2010 8:00 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I still really like him and root for him. So long as he does not sign in this division or with the Evil Empire, I will continue to root for him next year and in the future. If he signs with one of them- it will be much harder. So long as the team he plays for does not get in the way of the Phillies, what is the harm.
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