Q. Anything else?
A. SSI continues to bask in the warm glow of Theo Epstein's remark over Felix Hernandez: if there were one player you'd start a team with...
Dr. D has watched a whale of a lot of M's teams who did not have a legit Opening Day starter of any kind. 've seen my share of teams who couldn't come up with anything better than Scott Bankhead, Diego Segui, or Glenn Abbott as their #1.
The Rangers can tell you about how frustrating it can be to find even a staff ace, much less a monster Cy Young righty.
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This 2010 ballclub was one that should have been dispensed with an airplane bag included. But transition can be exciting, if you've got the Real Deals coming in.
Great time to be a Mariners fan. Speaking of Theo...
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Q. Why the Red Sox, by the way?
A. First of all, forget about the idea that you're rooting for IBM, that it's "not fair" to just front-run with a megateam. It's true that the Red Sox spend a lot more than, say, the Angels or Rangers. But the Yankees outspend the Red Sox by more than Boston outspends Anaheim.
Anybody who is the arch-rival of the Yankees is fighting an uphill battle. The Sox are locked in a David-and-Goliath battle themselves. How would you like to be in a fight-to-the-death scenario with New York every year? How would the Sabathia and Teixeira signings feel then?
Just recently, these poor feebs had what, an 86-year jinx going. The Red Sox as megaliths? Sure will be news to them. If anything, they're the East Coast's ugly stepsister.
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The Red Sox play high-scoring, unpredictable games. It's arena baseball and it's fun to watch.
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You want a banner team for sabermetrics, the Red Sox are much more that than are the Mariners.
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Two words: Bill James. Whether you like him or not, he represents you as a blogging fan, right? Admit it: wouldn't you like to be Bill James when you're 60? The Sox were the first team to hire a fan (Mike Gimbel), and they took oceans of dung for it. Of course you've got Voros McCracken there, well tolerated by the Sox despite the classic 'net-rat flamer personality.
The Sox are the team that likes you, the blogger, the best.
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Tradition. You've got Rice and Lynn, and before that Yaz, and before that Teddy Ballgame... remind me to tell you some stories about their ballpark sometime.
Great colors, retro unies, breathtaking park, yada yada yada.
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Spectacular rivalry games in September and October. You can actually watch them on network TV a lot.
They're just fun to watch. But I'm biased: they've been my #2 team since 1975. :- )
My #1 team, that's settled. You can throw an M's trident cap on my grave when I get there.
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Stay cool,
Dr D