Sunday, June 10, 2007
Friday, June 8, 2007
Why the Negativity?
There is no doubt about it. It is a great time to be a fan of the Boston Red Sox. At the time of this writing they are 38-21 and 10 games in front of the 2nd place Toronto Blue Jays. They are well on their way to winning the American League East Division. The Red Sox have arguably the best pitching rotation in all of baseball featuring three legitmate aces in Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, and Daisuke Matsuzaka. David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are proven studs. Kevin Youkillis and rookie of the year candidate Dustin Pedroia have been tearing the cover of the ball as well. And lastly, Jonathan Papelbon is in the bullpen waiting to slam the door.
With all that being said, my question is why is Red Sox Nation focusing on the very few negative aspects of this team? The talk is not of how well they are playing but how poorly shortstop Julio Lugo and right fielder J.D. Drew are playing. Former Boston Celtics coach Rick Pitino said it best when he said "All the negativity in this town sucks. It sucks, and it stinks, and it sucks."
Now no I am not totally oblivious to the struggles Lugo and Drew are going through. I understand Lugo is hitting .217 with an on base percentage of .277. These are not the numbers of an ideal leadoff hitter. However the man has not been caught stealing in 17 attempts this year and also has 33 RBI's, good for third best on the team. Oh and by the way, the Red Sox are in first place by 10 games.
With J.D. Drew, I must ask, has the Red Sox faithful given him a chance? Ever since that January 26 day when he signed the infamous 5 year $70 million deal, there has been nothing but JD bashing. Yes he replaced one of the all time fan favorite Red Sox in Trot Nixon. I am as big of a Trot fan as they come and I was happy to see him get his much deserved ovations at Fenway this past week. The fans have never gave JD a proper welcome. The man was batting as high as .375 in late April. He homered in first game at Fenway Park as a member of the Red Sox. Did the fans appreicate this? No. Manny Ramirez, "Crazy" Carl Everett, and Jose Offerman all homered in their first Fenway at-bats and recieved a standing ovation until they came out for a curtain call. Did J.D. receive this treatment? No.
By the way, the Red Sox are 10 games up in the American League East.
With all that being said, my question is why is Red Sox Nation focusing on the very few negative aspects of this team? The talk is not of how well they are playing but how poorly shortstop Julio Lugo and right fielder J.D. Drew are playing. Former Boston Celtics coach Rick Pitino said it best when he said "All the negativity in this town sucks. It sucks, and it stinks, and it sucks."
Now no I am not totally oblivious to the struggles Lugo and Drew are going through. I understand Lugo is hitting .217 with an on base percentage of .277. These are not the numbers of an ideal leadoff hitter. However the man has not been caught stealing in 17 attempts this year and also has 33 RBI's, good for third best on the team. Oh and by the way, the Red Sox are in first place by 10 games.
With J.D. Drew, I must ask, has the Red Sox faithful given him a chance? Ever since that January 26 day when he signed the infamous 5 year $70 million deal, there has been nothing but JD bashing. Yes he replaced one of the all time fan favorite Red Sox in Trot Nixon. I am as big of a Trot fan as they come and I was happy to see him get his much deserved ovations at Fenway this past week. The fans have never gave JD a proper welcome. The man was batting as high as .375 in late April. He homered in first game at Fenway Park as a member of the Red Sox. Did the fans appreicate this? No. Manny Ramirez, "Crazy" Carl Everett, and Jose Offerman all homered in their first Fenway at-bats and recieved a standing ovation until they came out for a curtain call. Did J.D. receive this treatment? No.
By the way, the Red Sox are 10 games up in the American League East.
Welcome
Greetings from the Mongoose. Allow myself to introduce...myself. I am an avid sports fan and even more of a diehard Boston sports fan. I also am passionate about the Texas Longhorns and the Providence Friars. As with any human, I tend to have an opinion on everything. Yes opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one and most of them stink. But I love to write and find that this is a nice way for me to vent my thoughts. I will be teaming up with McKeon in what we call McKeon and the Mongoose. On this blog you will find entries on anything going on in the world of sport. Do feel free to rip me apart at anytime you do see fit. Without me getting bashed, this will not be as much fun.
Enjoy!
-Mongoose
Enjoy!
-Mongoose
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