Sox Fans

[donniesyracuse]

This is purely anecdotal; based on my small group of friends. I've never seen Sox fans so apathetic towards their team before. I find myself in the rare position of cheering up my friends; saying things like "they've been playing pretty-well lately," or "there's still a a long way to go." In the past going into a four game series against the Yankees, my facebook wall would be full of chest-thumping Sox fans telling me my Yankees suck. Right now, Sox fans are silent. I don't think it's just because they are so far back in the standings; this never deterred Sox fans from running their mouths before. Again, this just based on my small sample of friends, but at the moment, Sox fans don't seem to have much affection for their team. Is it because of Valentine or the inability to forgive these guys for last year's collapse? I wonder if winning 3 out of 4 against the Yankees would change that. I hope I won't find out.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I think it's a combination of all those factors. I didn't like the hiring of Valentine, I hated the firing of Tito, and these players just seem apathetic as well. Most of the guys seem injured 80% of the time and don't seem very interested in getting healthy and coming back to actually earn some of the money they are getting paid (ARE YOU LISTENING CRAWFORD?). Since the new ownership has taken over they are trying to play the Yankees way of just acquiring the most expensive talent and it seems like there is no real farm system anymore that brings the kids up with the fire shown by Pedroia or Tek. I don't know, just not fun to watch them anymore.

By the way, the Yanks still suck, regardless of how much the Sox suck. I'll always root for the Sox and whoever is playing the Yanks.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

And to expand on that a bit more, I think the hiring of Valentine is exactly similar to what I'm talking about with buying players. Valentine might actually be a good manager, but it just feels like you've brought in a management consultant to get the ship righted. It does NOT feel like a long term plan and I'm tired of the Sox ownership thinking that way.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Congrats...you're a better bandwagon fan than bandwagon Sox fans.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

I didn't see this post until now so I apologize for the lateness. I think the tough thing about this year is just the constant feeling that we've been playing with a hand tied behind the back. Injuries have been a disaster. Sure, people can write that off as a lame excuse and cop out, but have you seen some of the lineups we've trotted out there recently? The list of players that have missed serious time is almost painful to type. Ellsbury, Pedroia, Crawford, Lackey, Bailey (that's 5 former All-Stars, no matter how average CC has been or how awful Lackey is at times). You can couple that with lesser injuries to Beckett, Buchholz, Sweeney, Ross, and Gonzalez and you get apathy from the fan base. There's a difference between having organizational depth to plug a few holes during the season and basically playing some nights with the Pawtucket Red Sox in Fenway. We sent out Daniel Nava, Pedro Ciriaco, Mauro Gomez, Brent Lillibridge, and Ryan Kalish for a game against the Yankees. If not for David Ortiz (who needs to be quiet), Salty, and Will Middlebrooks this team would be in serious trouble. To be a game over .500 right now is a pretty crazy accomplishment. That being said, I still have MLB.tv and watch as many innings as I can. I love baseball. I love the Red Sox. I can't tune them out, no matter how tough it is to watch some nights. It's fun to see the guys that aren't supposed to produce do so. Scott Atchison has an ERA near 2.00. Daniel Nava's hitting .300. Ciriaco's something like 11-21 since he got called up. If this team makes the playoffs, it'll be a minor miracle considering the injuries. Yankees fans can stick their noses up and call the injury excuse a cop out, but envision your lineup without Granderson, Cano, Swisher, and A-Rod and think about where you'd be filling it in with players from Scranton-Wilkes Barre.

 

[donniesyracuse]

Yankees fans can stick their noses up and call the injury excuse a cop out, but envision your lineup without Granderson, Cano, Swisher, and A-Rod and think about where you'd be filling it in with players from Scranton-Wilkes Barre.

Did anybody call the injury excuse a cop out?

 

[Noexcuse]

I didn't see this post until now so I apologize for the lateness. I think the tough thing about this year is just the constant feeling that we've been playing with a hand tied behind the back. Injuries have been a disaster. Sure, people can write that off as a lame excuse and cop out, but have you seen some of the lineups we've trotted out there recently? The list of players that have missed serious time is almost painful to type. Ellsbury, Pedroia, Crawford, Lackey, Bailey (that's 5 former All-Stars, no matter how average CC has been or how awful Lackey is at times). You can couple that with lesser injuries to Beckett, Buchholz, Sweeney, Ross, and Gonzalez and you get apathy from the fan base. There's a difference between having organizational depth to plug a few holes during the season and basically playing some nights with the Pawtucket Red Sox in Fenway. We sent out Daniel Nava, Pedro Ciriaco, Mauro Gomez, Brent Lillibridge, and Ryan Kalish for a game against the Yankees. If not for David Ortiz (who needs to be quiet), Salty, and Will Middlebrooks this team would be in serious trouble. To be a game over .500 right now is a pretty crazy accomplishment. That being said, I still have MLB.tv and watch as many innings as I can. I love baseball. I love the Red Sox. I can't tune them out, no matter how tough it is to watch some nights. It's fun to see the guys that aren't supposed to produce do so. Scott Atchison has an ERA near 2.00. Daniel Nava's hitting .300. Ciriaco's something like 11-21 since he got called up. If this team makes the playoffs, it'll be a minor miracle considering the injuries. Yankees fans can stick their noses up and call the injury excuse a cop out, but envision your lineup without Granderson, Cano, Swisher, and A-Rod and think about where you'd be filling it in with players from Scranton-Wilkes Barre.

Yankees have been there in the past, and I highly doubt anybody there is calling the Sox injuries a cop out. Yankee fans maybe, but not Yankee players. Anyway, maybe the Sox will pull a '78 Yankees and get back in it. There's still plenty of time and they are less than double figures out with 11 left to play against the Yankees.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

Did anybody call the injury excuse a cop out?

Not any of you personally, but I get that from a lot of people as soon as I even say the word 'injury.'

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

Yankees have been there in the past, and I highly doubt anybody there is calling the Sox injuries a cop out. Yankee fans maybe, but not Yankee players. Anyway, maybe the Sox will pull a '78 Yankees and get back in it. There's still plenty of time and they are less than double figures out with 11 left to play against the Yankees.

We'll see. Ellsbury's back and looked good at the top of the lineup in taking 2 of 3 in Tampa. The end of the summer is always better when the Yanks and Sox are fighting it out for playoff position.

 

[donniesyracuse]

Congrats...you're a better bandwagon fan than bandwagon Sox fans.

The point of the thread was not to argue that one fan base is better than another. Peeing matches over who is a "true fan" are idiotic. I was trying to get some feedback from Sox fans about their relationship with this year's team.

Your bandwagon accusation is nonsense.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

The point of the thread was not to argue that one fan base is better than another. Peeing matches over who is a "true fan" are idiotic. I was trying to get some feedback from Sox fans about their relationship with this year's team.

Your bandwagon accusation is nonsense.

It was a lame cheapshot and that's why I ignored it. By the way, I don't think you are wrong about your impression of Sox fans. I live in Burlington VT. Based on my 12 years of living there, I'd say fanship is about equally split among the Sox and Yanks. I haven't heard anyone get overly excited about the Sox this year.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

It was a lame cheapshot and that's why I ignored it. By the way, I don't think you are wrong about your impression of Sox fans. I live in Burlington VT. Based on my 12 years of living there, I'd say fanship is about equally split among the Sox and Yanks. I haven't heard anyone get overly excited about the Sox this year.

I have to say I am excited about tonight, though. Ellsbury and Crawford at the top two spots in the order and Youk's return to Fenway. Should be a fun one.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I have to say I am excited about tonight, though. Ellsbury and Crawford at the top two spots in the order and Youk's return to Fenway. Should be a fun one.

Thought I read something about Crawford whining about not really being ready but hearing it too much from fans so he's forcing himself back. Still hate that trade.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

Thought I read something about Crawford whining about not really being ready but hearing it too much from fans so he's forcing himself back. Still hate that trade.

He's as ready as he's going to be without getting Tommy John to fix his elbow completely. I'm pulling for the guy. He's become the major whipping boy of the franchise for injuries that are largely out of his control. That said, if he comes back and hits .230 again I may have to finally leave the CC bandwagon.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

He's as ready as he's going to be without getting Tommy John to fix his elbow completely. I'm pulling for the guy. He's become the major whipping boy of the franchise for injuries that are largely out of his control. That said, if he comes back and hits .230 again I may have to finally leave the CC bandwagon.

Is is just me or does it seem like too many Sox players put off major surgery to fix a problem only to have it hamper their production for far longer than it would have if they had just gotten the surgery in the first place. Or maybe I'm combining the Sox and the Celts here.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

Is is just me or does it seem like too many Sox players put off major surgery to fix a problem only to have it hamper their production for far longer than it would have if they had just gotten the surgery in the first place. Or maybe I'm combining the Sox and the Celts here.

It's happened with Lackey, Dice-K, Ellsbury and his ribs, Pedroia, Crawford, and now Gonzo is trying to play through back problems.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Are you freakin' kidding me? Just when it looked like the Sox were going to get back into some reasonable shape, now Ortiz tweaks his achilles? Sheesh.

 

[donniesyracuse]

Are you freakin' kidding me? Just when it looked like the Sox were going to get back into some reasonable shape, now Ortiz tweaks his achilles? Sheesh.

I never thought I would feel sympathy for Sox fans.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

Are you freakin' kidding me? Just when it looked like the Sox were going to get back into some reasonable shape, now Ortiz tweaks his achilles? Sheesh.

On what turned out to be a home run. To his credit he was busting his @ss around second since he wasn't sure if that ball would get out, but it's so unfortunate. He's been so good. 11 straight games with a walk and a hit. This season is snake-bit.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

Something seems to have flipped the last couple weeks, and this team really seems to be coming together. And to every pitcher in the world, you cannot get a fastball past Cody Ross on the inside corner, but keep trying.

 

[mountaincuse]

I never thought I would feel sympathy for Sox fans.

I don't.