The below was posted on Facebook by one of the founders of this blog, who can't seem to get into his account and doesn't have the patience to figure out why (I'm still working on him). As you'll see, he has an interesting take and a flair with words and sentence structure. He's been posting these "Dear Red Sox" posts all season and this is one of the best.
By AAHole:
Dear Red Sox,
Congrats, gentlemen. I just finished watching the game (despite learning of the outcome earlier), and it was a surprisingly rewarding experience. Last year was truly disheartening in that for the first time in my life, I was unthinkably disgusted and indifferent. I basically didn't give a shit, and that was so foreign to me it's hard to explain. I certainly didn't expect that I'd get drawn back in so thoroughly - there was a lot to make up for - but I was wrong. This squad reaffirmed and reignited my passion for the team and dissolved all that which repelled me in '12 with their obvious cohesion, focus, and damned good baseball. They played hard and cared. Win or lose, that's all I ever look for from them.
There are too many people who contributed to point out - many of them the usual suspects - but i'll mention a few: Shane Victorino (the best outfielder the Sox have had in more than a decade), Napoli (clutch!), the young guys (Carp, Nava, Middlebrooks, etc...), the surprisingly solid Drew, and the brilliant Uehara. I even have to give props to my historical piss-mint Lackey - sincerely well done, dude. Most of all, I think Farrell and Cherington deserve the primary credit. Between them they signed the right folks and made sure that they all toed the line, righted the ship, and made them realize that what it's really all about is caring about playing good baseball. That had been lost, and it's a pleasure to see it again.
Looking forward to the playoffs, boys! Well done indeed!
8 comments:
Shane Victorino is the best outfielder that the Sox have had in a decade? That is hyperbole to the extreme.
As opposed to? Ellsbury is excellent with no arm and oft injured. Once you watch Victorino play everyday in RF in Fenway, arguably the most difficult outfield spot in baseball, I don't think it's hyperbolic at all. And if you're assuming that statement includes offensive output, I don't assume that at all.
I have no idea who these players are. Let's play some hockey!
I would put Ramirez or Damon above Victorino on any list.
I'll admit to misreading that post initially because I thought he said RFer, which I still agree with; but you don't have any credibility, Brent, if you're saying Manny Ramirez (arguably the worst outfielder who had a HOF caliber career and the biggest loafer) and Johnny Damon, who could certainly go get the ball but had the worst outfield arm of any player in my memory.
So what you are saying is that the year that Victorino is having this year outdoes any that a Red Sox outfielder has had since 2004. Um, you might want to go back to the Red Sox World Series years and look at those outfielders. One year in Boston for Victorino, even this one, doesn't make him a Top 50 outfielder.
If you are saying that Shane Victorino is the best all-around outfielder in the past 10 years in Boston, I disagree with that as well. Just because Sox fans are still angry about Damon joining the Yankees, doesn't mean that he should not be considered. And if Victorino is the best outfielder in the past decade for the Sox, then the team has has some real bad outfielders.
Apparently I've somehow yet to be clear, Brent. We're talking about f'ing defensive outfield play only. Go back and read my comments again, if you have yet. It's obvious I'm not talking about offense at all, and knowing AA as well as I do, I know that's what his post was referring to.
duly noted. my bad.
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