Yankee Fans Suck.

In this particular space I keep my politics to myself but this both amused me and pissed me off.

The House of Representatives, obviously having nothing more important to do, took up a vote yesterday to congratulate the Yankees on their World Series win. The bill passed with 89% of the vote but that wasn't good enough for Pete King (R-NY) who said:

"Being from New York, I have always considered myself to be a winner. So it is very difficult for me to understand the 'begrudgery' and thought process of those who come from unimportant cities and states." (emphasis mine)

Seriously, guy? Thanks.

A Hunting We Will Go.

Betty Boop - A Hunting We Will Go
by baje22

I am not morally opposed to hunting. I don't particularly understand it's appeal but I'm not against it.

So even though I don't recall having ever seen a Betty Boop cartoon, I was never really a fan of Ms. Boop. (My Dad's nickname for me is descended from Ms. Boop's and it greatly offended my childhood sensibilities to be named after a cartoon character. My grandfather always used to call me Betty and my Dad picked up on that and calls me Booper, or in its full version: Betty Booper Pooper Scooper. It was never a favorite of mine.) She seems to be a bit of a flake. In this cartoon, she will just absolutely die if she doesn't get a fur coat but then the sight of the animals without their fur causes her to see the light and she gives them back their coats. Because skinning animals alive is wrong. Or something.

Hopefully, Josh Beckett has properly vetted the participants in his charity hunting event this weekend (You knew that there would be a point in here somewhere, right? And that really was the only mention I could find of the gathering--a throw away line in an article about philanthropic Tommy Hunter.) so that he hasn't invited any individuals who might share Ms. Boop's ideals. I'd bet she's a trouble maker.

Soup's On.

So Bud Selig wants to push the World Series into November? Fine. We'll just have to start the hot stove season the day after it ends.

The Sox announced today that they've acquired Jeremy Hermida from the Florida Marlins for Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez. The question is: Why?

Hermida is a former first round draft pick who hasn't really lived up to expectations. He had a nice year in 2007 but has been less impressive since then. His numbers last year may have been hurt by a strained oblique. He does have pretty good plate discipline, I guess. Hermida has played mostly right field in his career but played fifty-one games in left last season; either way, he's better defensively than Jason Bay (which isn't saying much) but he isn't fabulous.

I don't know. He does fit into Theo's dream roster filled with players whose names begin with J.

Things I Have Learned in the Past Five Years.

Aw, Philly? You suck. I am glad that you screwed it up on a night when I didn't have to go to work the next morning though.

Here's the thing: I don't actually care that the Yankees won. I would have adored it had they lost, there's no denying that, but I'm not perturbed about their win today. I'm not going to pull my hair out. I'm not even going to be mildly depressed. The whole thing is just kind of, "Meh. Whatever."

It seems that post-2004, it's all different. Yankee fans have lost their power over me. Five years ago the sight of a smug, condescending individual in a Yankee cap would have sent me to ground. But now? Now they're gnats. Now they don't matter. Theo and Co. have imbued me with a sense of security and it's wonderfully freeing.

The Red Sox are no longer a team to be ashamed of and as much as Yankee fans might prance around preening and gloating, they will not convince me that I should be. And as much as they might not want to believe it, I'm not jealous of their team. I'm happy with mine, thanks. The Yankees are no longer the be-all-and-end-all the baseball world.

So let the baby have it's bottle. There's always next year.

Semi Off Topic.

Alright Phillies. Truth be told, I am not normally a fan. I don't understand how you can have Andy Pettitte on the ropes like that but be unable to deliver the knock out blow. And to top it all off, he ends up winning the game. And the less said about Philadelphia fans the better. But today is a new day and I need you to do me a favor tonight and for the next couple of games. I need you, collectively, as a team, to channel your inner John Cleese. Thank you.

Golfing With Mr. Hunter (and Mr. Upton).

I'm not sure if my recent dislike of Torii Hunter gives me leave to make fun of his charity. Even if he is a terrible friend and his charity's mission statement is somewhat grandiose and self-satisfied, he probably does a lot of good. Besides which, the man has connections.

Josh Beckett hosts a bowling tournament with a similarly vague goal of helping children and you get coverage from the local media outlets. Torii Hunter hosts a golf tournament to help children in his own self-important way and he gets MLB Network to cover it for him. Beckett has an after party with some band I've never heard of (sorry) and Hunter gets Brian McKnight for his shindig (I couldn't tell you what he sings but I have heard of him).

The reason for bringing it up? Both Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz (who must be a better person than me) have agreed to show up for the November 10-11 tournament. And although Kevin Millar is shown in an Orioles uniform in the slide show at the bottom of the page and it's been four seasons since he played in Boston, he apparently remains an Old Sock to everyone. Also, if Hazel Mae is your thing, she'll be there too.

Friday Night Retirement.

Duluth high school in Duluth, Georgia has two somewhat recent claims to fame. A dozen years ago, Nick Green graduated from said school and five years after that Brain McCann followed suit. While there both played basketball in addition to baseball. And that's probably where the Brian McCann-Nick Green comparison should end.

Tonight both went back to their old stomping grounds so that the school could retire their numbers during a football game. Says Green:

"It's always nice for people to recognize you, especially as long as I've been gone. It's great that they remember me and it's a nice honor for us and what we did for the program. It means a lot to us."

Here's what I found interesting though: In the second article it says that Green's leg problem was really a back problem that will require surgery to correct. I would assume that even if the Sox were to let him go on his merry way, they'd be responsible for paying for the surgery. So why the delay? It seems like the season has been over for ages.