Yankees must win for Red Sox to get passion again!

Ale Xander

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Oct 31, 2013
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My favorite fact about the Yankees: That they began life from the dregs of the defunct, original Baltimore Orioles.
So, not only do they suck because they are the Yankees ... they suck twice as much because they have Orioles genes in their DNA.
And they began winning with a Baltimorean
 

LeoCarrillo

Do his bits at your peril
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Oct 13, 2008
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My favorite fact about the Yankees: That they began life from the dregs of the defunct, original Baltimore Orioles.
So, not only do they suck because they are the Yankees ... they suck twice as much because they have Orioles genes in their DNA.
And even before that, the very term Yankee began as a pejorative for Dutch settlers who ate cheese*, with Jan being a common Dutch name and “kaas” meaning cheese. Ergo, “Jan Kaas = John Cheese,” which evolved to “Yankee.” So, admittedly that’s all a little antiquated and puerile, sure, fine, but the important takeaway is that the Bronx team’s very moniker derives in essence from people scornfully muttering, “Oh, look, it’s another cheese-eating asshole.” So that holds, more or less.

(*the etymology is less than certain)
 
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Tudor Fever

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Two things:

1. Small sample size, but I know of several older Italian-Americans from the Boston area who are Yankee fans. If it’s not a statistical illusion, maybe it was a reflection of ethnic rivalries from the first half of the 20th century.

2. I hadn’t thought of him for years, but this thread reminds me of the “cubic transformation” guy who was convinced that a bunch of mediocre MFY pitching prospects circa 2005 were guaranteed to become the second coming of Pedro.
 

Jimbodandy

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Two things:

1. Small sample size, but I know of several older Italian-Americans from the Boston area who are Yankee fans. If it’s not a statistical illusion, maybe it was a reflection of ethnic rivalries from the first half of the 20th century.
It definitely is. I heard the same thing from old, Italian relatives. The Yankees had a few well-known, successful players of Italian ancestry and one of the most popular athletes alive in Joe D. Some people adopted the franchise because of that. It was a huge deal.
 

MtPleasant Paul

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Dec 28, 2015
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And Rizzuto, Lazzeri, Crosetti, and Raschi. Back in the 50's in Rhode Island with its large Italian population, the Yankees winning all the time and the Red Sox declining, it honestly felt to me that one third of the fans were Yankee supporters.

This gradually changed in the 60's as the memory of DiMaggio faded, the Yankees declined and the Impossible Dream year triggered a recrudescence of Red Sox support.
 

Al Zarilla

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And Rizzuto, Lazzeri, Crosetti, and Raschi. Back in the 50's in Rhode Island with its large Italian population, the Yankees winning all the time and the Red Sox declining, it honestly felt to me that one third of the fans were Yankee supporters.
Forgot one, unless you're not counting Northern Italians. :)
Yogi Berra was born in a primarily Italian neighborhood of St. Louis called "The Hill", to Italian immigrants Pietro and Paolina (née Longoni) Berra. Pietro, originally from Malvaglio near Milan in northern Italy, arrived at Ellis Island on October 18, 1909, at the age of 23.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Sep 9, 2008
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In the last hour or so I find that my passion for the Red Sox increased incrementally and I'm not sure why.
 

MtPleasant Paul

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Forgot one, unless you're not counting Northern Italians. :)
Yogi Berra was born in a primarily Italian neighborhood of St. Louis called "The Hill", to Italian immigrants Pietro and Paolina (née Longoni) Berra. Pietro, originally from Malvaglio near Milan in northern Italy, arrived at Ellis Island on October 18, 1909, at the age of 23.
Big omission. Speaking of Rhode Island baseball, Yogi played for the Providence Firesafes at Cranston Stadium in the then semi-pro New England League. When he came back from the European Theater (and a role in the D-Day invasion) he was stationed at the submarine base in Groton, Connecticut. He was on the base team, but he moonlighted for the Firesafes, playing under an assumed name - Caruso.

The Firesafes were Providence's baseball team in 1945, and Yogi's exploits were remembered in the state, particularly in the Italo-American community.
 

Bergs

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Jul 22, 2005
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This thread is awesome. I thought it would be locked, and now think it should be pinned.
 

Shaky Walton

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Nov 20, 2019
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My screaming hatred of the New York Yankees will not be affected in any way by what happens this post season.

It never changes. It is a constant in my life and will be until I leave this earth.

Death, taxes, indigestion and hatred of the Yankees...always there.
 

Average Reds

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2013 and 2018 were very satisfying, but not particularly exciting. Neither of those playoff runs ever had the Sox in an elination game. Neither post season had the drama of the 2004 comeback or being down 3-1 against Cleveland in 2007.
Every World Series year was great, but 2013 was sheer, unadulterated joy. Anyone who could watch the ALCS and describe It as “not particularly exciting” simply doesn’t like baseball.

From the Papi slam that reversed the course of the series to John Lackey out-dueling Verlander in Game 3 to the Victorino slam in game 6 as “Three Little Birds” played in my head … I just can’t believe that anyone could look back on that postseason and say “eh, whatever.” I mean, fuck me, the performance of Koji alone in 2013 made it an epic year.

Do I need to send a shirtless, drunk Mike Napoli over to your house to explain how wrong you are?
 

Trlicek's Whip

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2013 and 2018 were very satisfying, but not particularly exciting. Neither of those playoff runs ever had the Sox in an elination game. Neither post season had the drama of the 2004 comeback or being down 3-1 against Cleveland in 2007.
Do you want an entitled Yankees fanbase in Fenway? Because this is how you get an entitled Yankees fanbase in Fenway.

56658
 

budcrew08

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Mar 30, 2007
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upstate NY
And even before that, the very term Yankee began as a pejorative for Dutch settlers who ate cheese*, with Jan being a common Dutch name and “kaas” meaning cheese. Ergo, “Jan Kaas = John Cheese,” which evolved to “Yankee.” So, admittedly that’s all a little antiquated and puerile, sure, fine, but the important takeaway is that the Bronx team’s very moniker derives in essence from people scornfully muttering, “Oh, look, it’s another cheese-eating asshole.” So that holds, more or less.

(*the etymology is less than certain)
This is why I love this place. I learn something new every day. Maybe.
 

Spelunker

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Jul 17, 2005
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This thread is awesome. I thought it would be locked, and now think it should be pinned.
The fact that the most active thread on the main board is about the Yankees is a sad commentary on the state of things.
 

Bergs

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Jul 22, 2005
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This particular gut-wrenching Yankee loss really makes me wonder if I care about the Boston Red Sox at all.
 

tims4wins

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Jul 15, 2005
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I’m kinda good with the fact that the peak intensity of the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry is gone, never to return. I lived it, and it was something else, but fucking hell do I enjoy watching a game without that special brand of anxiety and mindfuckery.
Just re-reading this thread from the beginning, this really hits home. I was talking with my boss the other day - a die-hard Cleveland fan - explaining how awesome it was to just be a normal baseball fan now. And that while I would never give up the experience we had in 2003-2004, I'd also never, ever want to go through that again.
 

LeoCarrillo

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Oct 13, 2008
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"Realizing he'd lost his passion, Andy got back into that pipe and crawled backward through five-hundred yards of shit-smelling foulness I can't even imagine."

56735
 

Mueller's Twin Grannies

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Dec 19, 2009
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As Sox fans we want Boone to stay. Cashman leaving would be great though. Judge too. Unfortunately I think Cashman and Judge stay, and Boone doesn't.
Cashman hasn't won in almost 13 years. He only really has one WS team under his belt: he inherited the core that won four in 5 seasons and his teams have fallen short all but one time for nigh on to 20 seasons. Why does he still deserve the job?
 

Van Everyman

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Cashman hasn't won in almost 13 years. He only really has one WS team under his belt: he inherited the core that won four in 5 seasons and his teams have fallen short all but one time for nigh on to 20 seasons. Why does he still deserve the job?
SiaS, is that you?

I actually think Cashman has done pretty well – while he didn’t do anything special with the 2001-2008 teams, and they drifted from 2010-2016, the team he’s had since 2017 has been super competitive. They’ve mostly been eclipsed by a Houston juggernaut (insert cheating jokes and 2018 Red Sox references here).

But George would’ve canned him, yes.
 

tims4wins

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Jul 15, 2005
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SiaS, is that you?

I actually think Cashman has done pretty well – while he didn’t do anything special with the 2001-2008 teams, and they drifted from 2010-2016, the team he’s had since 2017 has been super competitive. They’ve mostly been eclipsed by a Houston juggernaut (insert cheating jokes and 2018 Red Sox references here).

But George would’ve canned him, yes.
Yeah agreed with this. They’ve fallen short in the playoffs but have been a very good to great team for 5+ years now.
 

snowmanny

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Dec 8, 2005
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That 2006 Yankees lineup was a monster. They have had some good teams that just fizzled in the playoffs.
 

Al Zarilla

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Yankees are just four wins away against a team they couldn't decide whether they should be in the National League or the American League. Four wins away from a World Series berth against a team that won 87 games in the regular season. My stocks in the Red Sox are on the rise.
 

terrynever

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Tension is so much more a part of sports today than it was 50 years ago, before cable TV took over. And yet, some teams find a way to cut through the pressure.

How come teams like the Phillies, Padres and Astros seem to be having fun this October while the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets looked tight and mostly underachieved? I envy the Phillies. They play in a region of high expectations but somehow this month they broke through the tension and elevated their game for the playoffs. How did that happen?

Personnel issues aside, I think the Yankees have a mental roadblock to solve throughout the organization. Pressure is part of the game and it affects all teams, but mostly it sits on the shoulders of the richest franchises — both NY teams, the Dodgers and the Red Sox. Maybe the simple answer is elite pitching rules in October. Or maybe this current group of Yankees (2017-22) can’t handle the pressure. How about the Dodgers? What’s the explanation for the first-round exit of a team that won 111 games in the regular season.

The Yankees have won one World Series since 2000. Off the top of my head, Dodgers also have just one. Boston has four, Giants three. Boston played the underdog card three times and won their fourth as a heavy favorite.

I think we all felt the tension of Red Sox-Yankees rivalry peaked in 2003-04. It was almost unbearable for fans. My hat is off to the teams that win it all. Go Phillies. Underdogs are more fun.
 

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