Originally posted on Monday, January 8, 2007
I have read on some bulletin boards that some Red Sox fans in their infinite wisdom are going to boo former Red Sox reserve 1B Doug Mientkiewicz because he signed with the Yankees.
How DARE he try to get a job after being cut by Kansas City?
But the booing isn’t just because of his new employer. Some people are still mad that he wouldn’t give the ball back that he caught to end the 2004 World Series.
He caught the last out of a Red Sox world championship... something we had been waiting for for our whole lives and then some... and we boo him because he wanted to keep the ball?
No wonder the rest of the baseball world hates us Red Sox fans!
We wrongfully blame Buckner because he couldn't field a ball and now we hate Mientkiewicz because he COULD field a ball!
Wow.
My personal policy is to never boo a member of the 2004 Red Sox... no matter who he plays for.
Doesn't mean I'll want Johnny Damon and any other former Red Sox to beat my boys... but I won’t boo them.
Frankly I feel that '04 wiped out almost all bad feelings.
I'd welcome Boggs back for a number retirement ceremony (lest we forget he was non tendered by the Red Sox after 1992) even though I thought he was a bit of a phony and led the league in late inning hits in 9-1 losses.
I'd applaud every member of the '86 World Series... Schraldi and Stanley included. (Only a moron includes Bill Buckner as one of the goats of that series, but that will be another post)
Mike Torrez? Sure, give him a pat on the back... even though he spends more times at YANKEE old timers days.
The memory of Harry Frazee? Good Broadway producer... not always the best personell moves, but God bless him anyway.
I even go so far as saying "Grady Little... you seem like a nice enough guy... probably would have made the greatest manager in Pawtucket history... but you were the wrong guy for the '03 Red Sox... but it's water under the bridge."
I might EVEN say "Johnny Mac... wake up... thanks for giving me my first taste of post season Red Sox baseball. Sure you managed the playoffs and World Series like Arnold Rothstein paid you to throw it... but you led us to one strike of a title and thanks... now go back to sleep."
Like Michael Corleone in reverse, the '04 World Series settled all grievances for the positive and having us all look forward instead of always painfully to the past and those black and white clips of Enos Slaughter and the sun warped images of Bucky Dent.
But only one name escapes.
Only one man who still harbors my wrath as not only a Red Sox villain but as someone who should be in the pantheon of all time baseball idiots.
The man who sabotaged what was probably the greatest and most beloved assembly of Red Sox outside of 2004 of all time.
The man who forced Fergie Jenkins, Jim Willoughby and Bernie Carbo out the door prior to 1978 and got only one player, Jon Poloni back for that trio. (Think of that... a Hall of Fame pitcher, a solid reliever and a top pinch hitter brought back a man whose total of major league games was 2 prior to 1978 and who never pitched a game for the Red Sox).
This same man who sat Bill Lee, a Yankee killer, and started Bobby Sprowl, in the greatest pennant race of the last 30 years.
And who sabotaged the 1978 season to save face.
It's safe to say with Lee, Jenkins, Willoughby and Carbo on the squad over Sprowl and Poloni, the Red Sox could have won one more game.
They didn't and Rice, Yaz, Lynn, Burleson, Tiant, Evans, Fisk, Scott, Hobson and Remy remained ringless.
All because of the one man we should ALWAYS boo.
We should ALWAYS point out is an ass.
We should ALWAYS say "You are one of the great fools in the history of baseball."
Mr. Don Zimmer.
Not Mientkiewicz.
I say thanks Mientkiewicz, now don't get any clutch hits.
No comments:
Post a Comment