Topic: 2011 MLB Baseball Thread

[shemps#1]

I too felt the whole Yanks/Mets/Red sox thing in 1986, the first year I followed baseball.  I switched back in fourth between the Yankees and Mets in '86 and became a Sox fan the next year.

Believe it or not, even I was kind of rooting for the Yankees in '01, which shows how crazy that time period was post 9/11.  It would probably be more accurate to say i wanted to see New York have something to be happy about rather than see the Yankees win, but the few times in my life where I do pull for the Yanks (including this past September against Tampa), they always manage to lose.

My father wasn't going to allow to allow me to become anything but a Sox fan. The first time I watched a baseball game was that 86 season; I was bored one day and flipping through the channels and came across a Yankees/Orioles game on WPIX 11. The Old Man comes into the room, looks at the TV, then at me and says "what is this shit? If you wanna watch baseball watch this" and switched it to the Red Sox/Indians game on WSBK 38. The Sox scored over 20 runs that game and the rest is history.

[metaldams]

My father wasn't going to allow to allow me to become anything but a Sox fan. The first time I watched a baseball game was that 86 season; I was bored one day and flipping through the channels and came across a Yankees/Orioles game on WPIX 11. The Old Man comes into the room, looks at the TV, then at me and says "what is this shit? If you wanna watch baseball watch this" and switched it to the Red Sox/Indians game on WSBK 38. The Sox scored over 20 runs that game and the rest is history.

I think I mentioned this story before, but to show you my strange Red Sox/Yankee/Met story, my Dad grew up a Yankee fan and idolized Mickey Mantle.  To this day, he still has a soft spot for that era of the Yankees.  He lost interest in the Yankees and baseball with a combination of Mantle retiring and Steinbrenner buying the Yanks.  I also lost interest in baseball for about 5 or 6 years in the mid to late 90's, a combination of moving to Delaware and not being able to follow the games as much (the Internet wasn't around or just starting), Wade Boggs becoming a Yankee, and the '94 strike.  Plus I was also discovering playing bass and music at the time.  My Dad's father, on the other hand, a life long Red Sox fan, liked Jimmie Foxx back in the day and told me stories of '46 and '49.  My grandpa was a Sox fan, my Dad grew up a Yankee fan and is now a Sox fan, and my uncle is still a Yankee fan.  Very strange, I know.

My Dad became a Sox fan in 1986 years after not following baseball.  I was developing an interest in baseball, switching between the Mets and Yanks on a weekly basis, and my parents just happened to be vacationing in Boston when the Sox beat the Angels in the ALCS and got caught up in the hysteria the town was in.  To this day, both of my parents are Red Sox fans, and I became a full time fan in 1987 watching games with my parents.

That's cool your Dad led you in the right direction and the Red Sox scored 20 runs in your first game.  Well, probably 24 runs, I'm assuming this is your game.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CLE/CLE198608210.shtml

[shemps#1]

That has to be it, but there was no Yankees game the same day. Perhaps they were showing an old Yankees game at the same time?

[Lefty]

Being a Philly native and being born after the A's moved to K.C., I had only one team to root for.  Many times I wondered if the wrong team moved.     The first game I ever attended, at age 9, was a rare weekday afternoon game at Connie Mack Stadium in which the Phillies, with Chris Short pitching, beat Juan Marichal and the Giants, 4-3. 

[Lefty]

Well, the Cubs have their billy goat curse, the Red Sox had the Curse of the Bambino, and Philadelphia has the Curse of Every Team Beats Us and Wins a World Championship:

Flyers:  12 times, including the past 3 seasons.
76ers:  11 times, not since 2001, because the 76ers frankly suck.
Eagles:  8 times, including the past season.
Phillies:  8 times, including the past 3 seasons, would have been more, but mostly they've sucked as well.
Bowling: 6 times, including the past 3 seasons. 

[falsealarms]

Yu Darvish's recent playoff start (3 parts) -- could be one of his last in Japan, and if he comes to the US, he'll be the subject of much hype. Think Dice-K hype, but Darvish might have more upside. His potential arrival to the US has been something anticipated for a few years now. You'll notice Darvish is a lot bigger than Dice-K, 6'5 to 6'0. Darvish, a righthander, turned 25 this year.

If you take a look, FFD to about 11 min in. Good luck understanding the announcers

http://www.justin.tv/asdfg585/b/298631204

[falsealarms]

Wow, LaRussa has retired. Though he's 67, this is a surprise to me. Can't blame the guy for going out on top, but I thought he'd keep going for a few more years.

[falsealarms]

Fearless prediction - Francona manages STL in 2012.

[shemps#1]

Fearless prediction - Francona manages STL in 2012.

It would be a good fit, Francona and LaRussa are cut from the same mold.

In other news the Braves have traded former Red Sox pitcher Derek Lowe to Cleveland for a prospect. The Braves will be eating most of his contract.