You Yankee bashers. The only legitimate criticism you have of this team is that they behave like cricket players. There is no ‘arrogance’ in this team. It is only their resolve to win that you misinterprret as arrogance.
See, the Yankees kept the core of Derek Jeter, Bernie Wiliams, Andy Pettite, Mariano Rivera, Timo Martinez, and Paul O’Neil, traded all the rest and still win. Joe Torre stuck around for 7 years, longer than any other Steinbrenner manager. The best part is that they play how the National League used to play–timely hitting, scratch baserunning, pitching, pitching and pitching. Annually, they get a perfect game, a no-hitter or something very close. They didn’t have anybody hit more than 38 HR for them in any season during this run, yet they still drive runs as well as Texas or Cleveland. They do it as a team.
It is entirely impossible to hate the Yankees’ players. They are fine, upstanding, gracious, almost entirely sportsmanlike* gentlemen. The franchise, the organization, the owner, the fans - they’re another story.
It would be awful if the Braves faced the Yankees in the Series this year. Which is more deserving of loathing?
And for those who ogle players, do you think Joe Torre is “easy on the eye”? (I seem to recall that in Ball Four he was said to have the nickname “Ass Eyes”). Not to mention there being an unflattering allusion to his shattering camera lenses.
Oh, and the real reason for my posting, since there are dedicated grammarians here. Which is it - the Oakland As, or the A’s? If the latter, what exactly is it that belongs to the A???
*with the rare exception of Roger “Take This Bat And Shove It” Clemens.
Paul O’Neil is a bit of an asshole. And Justice, although he comes across as a really nice guy, has had some serious issues (that whole wife beating thing…).
of course, the Yankees have lost game 1 of the first series 4 times since 1996… and won the series in each case… maybe their luck will change in 2001…
plus, Clemens was pulled out with a hamstring injury… strangely, I do not feel sorry for him, and damnit, I’ve had a hamstring injury, and it sucked. Oh well.
I do believe that it is the “A’s.” The apostrophe is not a possessive, but rather stands in for the missing letters “thletic.” But I am obviously the last person to make a call on this matter.
As to the Joe Torre question: Joe Torre is homely in a loveable way. Don Zimmer, OTOH, looks like the puf-n-stuf man.
In tonight’s game, the A’s definitely out-played the Yankees. But the Yanks will rally, I think. They need to put Sojo in the game. That guy’s playoff magic! They should replace Justice with Sojo. I have no data at all to back this up–just a feeling–but I think Justice causes bad vibes or something. The Yankees never seem to have that spark when he’s around. Realistically, they should pull Justice and put in Spencer. He played really well this season, and deserves to play in the playoffs. He also seems more of a “team player” and less of a prima donna.
The reason is because I very carefully explained to my kitty, Petite, who to root for. When a Yankee player would come on the screen I would say “bad, evil” and when an A’s player came on I would say “good, those are the ones to root for, the ones in Green”. And before any of you think I am strange (maybe a little late now, but I will try to explain) my cat actually does watch baseball.
Green Bean, whatcha mean Tito is cute, I didn’t think so. I did not see a Yankee player worth rooting for based on looks. Torre looks like he needs to get a good nights sleep, he always has dark circles around his eyes, not an attractive feature.
Oooo, I forgot how easy on the eye Mulder is.
For the first few innings I has to listen to the game on radio (ESPN). Anyone else do that? Was it me or were those announcers awfully biased towards the Yankees. You would think they as the national radio broadcast would be able to be a little less blatant about their love of a particular team.
Aw, a lot of Italian guys have those dark circles. Lay off my friend Joe.
And it’s Tino, not Tito. Tito is Jermaine’s brother. I guess you like that barely post-pubescent look that half the guys on the A’s have. Tino’s a real man. Not a li’l baseball boy…Though speaking of little baseball boys, I think I’m in looooove with that Damon kid.
And I wouldn’t say the announcers are biased. They are just Yankee fans, like all smart and discriminating people are.
That’s funny. I consider players looks in the most un-scientific way. Posada is my favorite player–for reasons other than looks. But Tino swings my bat (so to speak). So, I root for them both.
[sub]Green Bean, I was joking about picking teams based on their looks.[/sub] I watch baseball with my Mom and we like to have fun, so anything goes including critiquing a players looks. My mom is seriously the first to see a wedgie on the field. Don’t tell her I said this, but she is really cool.
I don’t like the high water pants. It just looks Goofy, but wasn’t he also wearing baggy pants in that baseball cartoon made in the '40s.
The baggie pants are cool if only worn once a year at the roll-back-the-clock game. But I think you are trying to describe more droopie drawers. Not an adult fashion statement.
Naw, I don’t mean baggy knickers, a la Joe DiMaggio. I mean baggy pants a la Barry Bonds. There is some guy who’s name slips my mind who wears them even baggier.
You may not like the Yankees, but you must admit that Derek Jeter’s pants fit very very well.
Speaking as an A’s fan from back in the day who never thought the team could compete thanks to baseball’s economics these days, I’m overjoyed. Not long ago Oakland became one of the few (if not the only) teams to go from first place to last place in one year. Now they are the hottest team in baseball. This proves last year was no fluke. I want to make Jayson Stark eat his words when he wrote back in April that the A’s were DONE after starting 2-10 and 8-18.
Oh and Barry Zito is my new favorite baseball player since in an interview on ESPN.com’s Page Two he announced if he could have anyone over for dinner, past or present, he would invite Ben Folds (well, and Sandy Koufax and FDR). ESPN even put up Ben’s picture!
I’m sorry, but that sounds like sour grapes to me. Which I can understand if you’re not a Yankee fan, but that has no bearing on the team being “egotistical, spoiled, and overpriced”, that just means they are good.
Angel games, huh? That would be L.A. Ok, I don’t think your problem is Yankee fans, but obnoxious people who live in L.A. and just happen to also be Yankee fans. Los Angeles has more than its fair share of obnoxious people*. I really doubt the parking lots have more litter just because the Yankees are in town.
Good humoured rivalry? You don’t happen to mention the “egotistical, spoiled, and overpriced” thing, or the trashed parking lots do you? I happen to be good friends with someone who would (and has) called himself a “rabid” Yankee fan. I’ve never seen him be obnoxious or too serious about a little ribbing about his team, well, other than a big “Fuck You!”, but that’s more of a term of endearment with him.
My point is that maybe you just experienced a few obnoxious people who also happen to be Yankee fans. Don’t paint them all (or even most of them) with the same brush.
I won’t avoid the comment – Giambi? Cuter than all the players on the Yankees? HA! I don’t find Giambi attractive at all. I will admit to a huge crush on Mike Mussina, though, who also happens to be an excellent pitcher. And let’s not discount Clemens, Pettite (hope that’s spelled correctly) and Rivera (even though he’s a relief).
Sorry, Green Bean, I don’t find Tino cute at all, though Jeter has lovely eyes ;).
Here’s the part of the post that’s a shocker: I’m not a Yankee’s fan, I’m an A’s fan. Yay!! We won!! Ok, so it was only the first game, but I was told that the first game is an important one to win.
*I was raised in Los Angeles, so I feel I have a right to talk about it in that manner.
