Self-Discovery

by jscape2000 on Oct 9, 2009 8:07 AM EDT in Analysis Comment 11 comments

I thought I was indifferent to which team wins the Red Sox-Angels series.

Both team feature powerful lineups and good to great starting pitching, so I'll be worried about a seven game series with either.

And I'm usually so annoyed by both teams. Boston because of the constant felation I'm forced to witness on ESPN. Anaheim/ Los Angeles/ California because of the lazy analysis- gritty, ball players, manufacture.

But watching last night's game, I found myself rooting for the Angels. Not because of what the match-up means for the Yankees, but because there is a part of me that respects the Angels.

I loved Bobby Abreu when he was here- his patience at the plate, his blend of speed and power, and his arm in the outfield (though not his fear of the wall).

I miss Juan Rivera. Remember when he was the perennial September call-up? Somehow he never won the right field job after Paullie retired, and he waited until he was in Montreal in 2004 to have his career year (though I wonder if his name is on the list?).

I've always be covetous of Vlad Guerrero- I would have preferred him to Gary Sheffield, and (before his back began to bother him) he brought power and speed to the game. All those years on the cement in Montreal both diminished his abilities and hid him from the spotlight. I still don't think he received the attention he was (is) due.

And I admire the Angels farm system, how they usually seem to have a replacement player ready: Mathis, Nappoli, Aybar, Kendrick, Morales.

I figured out who I'm rooting for in the other ALDS.

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I don't know how any self respecting Yankee fan

can go and root for the Red Sox.

I know I’d rather face them in the ALCS. I always love watching a Pissant-Yankee series.

But root for them? To win? A single game? HELL NO!

What the f$%k is the internet?

by FreeBradshaw on Oct 9, 2009 8:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Me too. In part because I respect the Angels but mainly because if I have to lose I would rather lose to anyone but the Red Sox.

by Jtmc on Oct 9, 2009 8:48 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

LOVE the bosux.....

NEVER. I am so-so on the Angels, don’t dislike them and they ARE fun to to watch. Mike Scioscia was always sort of a fav. Always enjoyed him. And because I live fairly close to SF got to see him play a couple of games…..HATE the dodgers. Last nights game was a pleasure…..GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YANKEE’S

Rick
Goooooooooooo MSU BOBCATs
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY

by ramyankee on Oct 9, 2009 9:31 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't care who it is

With the Pissants its personal. With LA its personal. I don’t know who I’d rather see with an eliminated look on his face: Tori Hunter or Dustin Pedroia.

------It's October,winning is what the Yankees do........let's just do it already

by ReggieARodJeter on Oct 9, 2009 11:26 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I like both Hunter and Pedroia

Now I would LOVE to see man-tears on Scioscia’s face because as much as I respect him, I cannot stand that smug look of his. Also would love to see a sweaty Youk, head down in his dugout trying to figure out how they lost with his tiny caveman brain. But thats all moot until we beat the Twins. Right now I want to see a post-game interview with Pavano having to choke back tears about how his soul was crushed by an Yankees offensive onslaught of biblical proportions.

by HappyLuckyGoldenDragonNumber1! on Oct 9, 2009 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm rooting for

the Angles/Sox series to go the full 5 games with the 5th being a 12 innning affair using all of their bullpen plus a few starters to boot. Okay, I was spoiled by Twins/Tiggers elimination game!

by coops2001 on Oct 9, 2009 2:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, definitely Angels...

I can never root for the Red Sox to win anything. And really, even if the Angels ended up beating the Yankees in the ALCS, I would root for them in the WS. I think it’s really classy that they plan on giving the WS bonus Nick Adenhart would have gotten, had he not died, to his family. Still want the Yankees to win, of course.

by Wraithpk on Oct 9, 2009 2:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Angels - Red Sox

Who cares? I tried to enter a comment a few days ago when Yankees Chick had an entry. Had to wait two days to get permission to do so. All I wanted to say then was “Yankees Chick, you are an awesome writer. Love your stuff. You make me wish I were fifty years younger.”
Yankees forever!

by Fan since '41 on Oct 9, 2009 2:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

i would love for the possibility yanks to crush the red sox in the ALCS but the mere thought of rooting for then makes me physically ill

Thank God for making us Yankees.

by noonoo on Oct 9, 2009 3:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

As much as I'd love to see the Yankees beat the Red Sox

in the ALCS, again, I’d like it even more if they exorcise their angels the way the Angels are exorcising the Red Sox and the way the Dodgers are exorcising the Cardinals, and to some degree the Phillies are exorcising the Rockies.

I’m a fan of living in the moment and I love the demonstration by professional athletes that nothing that came before is determining how well they play or whether they win or lose, it’s this moment. It doesn’t matter what our record is against the Angels, for several reasons, the main reason being that this is a completely different ballclub than any other the Angels have faced in the post season in the last 9 years. Mentally, physically, completely different.

All that being said, does anyone else think that the professional athletes go out there and all they do is think about and focus on playing the best they can that game and winning in that moment and that day and there are no thoughts of past defeats or past poor performances? Even from at bat to at bat, they learn from the previous but don’t dwell on their failure.

That seems to be the main lesson A-Rod learned in the offseason or spring training or whereever, because that used to be his problem. Now he’s in the moment, learning from the past but using it to focus on the present.

by phonty on Oct 9, 2009 3:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Root for the blow sox..?

I can’t even root for boston college……boston anything makes me disgusted. Angels are like little flies….It comes down to a question of who I want to suffer more on the field….god I hate the red sox….but I would looove to sit torii hunters ass down for the duration of the post season….hmnmmmm….Angels……..

by NYYWinsRings26 on Oct 9, 2009 4:36 PM EDT via mobile reply actions 0 recs