I don’t mind the whole Rox vs Sox slogan that everybody made up this year, god knows it better than another “Subway” Series, but I fail to realize how making up a stupid name is going to generate any more excitement for the World Series than there already is. So long as the Yanks or Sox are in this thing, enough people love them or hate them enough to acually watch every game. This is in contrast to last years Tigers-Cards crap fest, and the 05 series between the ChiSox and the Astros feels like it never even happened. So, memo to ESPN, you don’t need to come up with catchy little slogans for every single big game thats about to be played…we can figure out the magnitude of the matchup quite easily without rhyming.
(more after the jump)
Nevertheless, we are about 25 hours away from Josh Beckett thowing the first pitch of the 2007 World Series at the Fens, and hopefully we can be as entertained this week as we were over the past 10 days. Kudos to the Indians, who played their tails off, and to the entire Cleveland organization for putting together what would appear to be a first class organization. You can’t say enough about the influx of young talent on that team, as well as the great power pitching at the top of the rotation. Hopefully they can keep it together next year and have another slug fest with Detroit for the AL Central title.
As for the Red Sox, I think a lot of people miscatagorize this team as an over the top, bloated payroll, pompus group of individuals. They couldn’t be more off base. This team is far from the mold that the Yankees have helped carve for role of the dominant team, and I can’t think of a team that was favored going into a World Series having so many flaws from top to bottom. The truth is, this is not a very good team. And this is not a group of jerks.
Sure, the Sox have a payroll of $143 millon. That is second in baseball and double the payroll of most of the teams the Sox play, but tale a deep look at that payroll and you might be surprised. Combined, the starting 2B (Pedroia), 1B (Youkilis), Closer (Papelbon), and Set-up man (Okijima) compose only $2.5 million in salary. For as much “Million Dollar Man” montra that has been thrown around for Dice-K, he makes the same yearly salary as Jeff Weaver and Ted Lilly. Most of the $143 million in salary will be gone next year as expiring deals leave the books. See you later Matt Clement (9.5 mill), Curt Schilling (13 mill), Eric Gagne (6 mill), and Eric Hinske (5.99 mill). Make room for the under 1 million salaries of Clay Bucholtz, John Lester, Jacoby Elsbury, Manny Delcarmen, and Kyle Snyder.
“Feeding the Monster” by Seth Mnookin outlines the personalities of the Red Sox players in a surprisingly intimate manner. One chapter details how David Ortiz will bust open the door to Tito Francona’s office durring a press briefing with goggles and a backward’s hat, exclaiming “What up, bitches?”, while holding Kevin Millar in a headlock. Curt Schilling often gets miscatagorized as a self promoting ass when he interjects himself into popular debates, but don’t give Schill the Michael Vick treatment so quickly, he has raised over $75,000 this season alone for Lou Gehrigs disease research.
Lots of people like to root for the underdog, and thats fine. But this World Series, take a closer look at the “New Evil Empire”, and maybe those lovable Rockies will be the club that turns into just another team. That is because this group of Red Sox is not only talented, but they are easy to like, and easy to cheer for, even if you’ve never been a fan of them before. Give the boy’s a chance, you might just be surprised at how good a group of idiots makes you feel.
Thats all on this till later in the week, hoping for a great series with Colorado, and hoping to get one championship closer to catching the Yankees. Go Sox!
