I’d like to know why so many Boston sports writers (and Boston sports fans) are using the “If you say that the front office didn’t screw up you’re in denial” or “If you say you didn’t want Teixeira on your team you’re lying” arguments against any Red Sox fans who aren’t devastated that Mark Teixeira is in New York.
To me, this is akin to saying “If you don’t agree with my opinion, you’re stupid”. Way to connect with people. folks.
I could have taken or left Mark Teixeira. I know he’s a good player (although, I’d like to know when he became the best player in MLB? He’s not, folks. He really isn’t. So to the people who keep telling me I’m in denial or lying, I tell you to stop over-hyping this guy in the name of Sox bashing.) but I wasn’t champing at the bit to get him. Let’s see, we’ll move Youk back to third, find a team where we can ditch Lowell, carry the one…it just didn’t mean that much to me to get him. We were a healthy Josh Beckett away from the World Series this year – I don’t look at the Red Sox and think “Holy hell!!!! Theo hasn’t done ANYTHING this off-season, we’re DOOMED!!!!”. Good for you if you do but stop trying to drown me with your negativity.
Remember the off-season of 2003? Sure you do. Everyone and their brother had us signing Alex Rodriguez including, for a time, Alex Rodriguez, right? Back then, I was a regularly posting member of the Red Sox Fan Forum over at redsox.com. The place was abuzz for weeks with talk of getting ARod. I forget the specifics, but wasn’t the plan back then to trade ARod for Manny Ramirez and then trade Nomar Garciaparra for Magglio Ordonez?  I HATED this idea, long before it all went south. And there were many, MANY people willing to voice the same opinion over at redsox.com. Then once everything fell through and Slappy ended up with the Yankees, from out of the woodwork came the people taunting those of us who didn’t care. “Oh you have to say that to make yourself feel better about your team screwing this up!” was a common refrain. No, I said it because I didn’t want to lose Manny and Nomar for ARod and Magglio. Don’t care now and didn’t care then if people thought I was choosing loyalty to players over improving the team (which, in a sense, I guess I was. I just never liked ARod – never – and there are some players I never want to have to root for – he’s one of them).
Mark Teixeira isn’t one of them, though. Never really had anything against him, but I like the way this team looks (for the most part. Have I mentioned that we need a catcher? I’d much prefer Theo sign a starting catcher right now. Seems kind of an important piece of the team that is currently, well, MISSING right now.) and I didn’t see the need of signing a Teixeira just for the sake of doing so. Wouldn’t have been too upset if they did (although the ultimate loss of Mike Lowell would have been greatly upsetting) but, again, really not devastated that they didn’t.
So the Sox didn’t get Teixeira and the Yankees did. I’m not giving up tickets to the Red Sox games in protest, that’s for sure. If anything, it’s nice to (once again) have a bit of a “bring it on” attitude in regard to the Yankees. Rivalries are fun and the Steinbrenners just kicked it up a notch again.
But, seriously Theo, a catcher. A catcher would be good.
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