Crash Course
01-04-2005, 01:28 PM
Over at mlb.com, they have a great feature (http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/bos/news/bos_news.jsp?ymd=20050103&content_id=926896&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp) with quotes from many in RSN on the Randy Johnson to NY trade. Here are some of the better bites:
"If the Yankees acquire Randy Johnson and Carlos Beltran I am sure many will concede the World Series to them," said owner John W. Henry. "New York has improved markedly every year since we purchased the Red Sox. A year ago their acquisitions led to that [assessment] and they indeed came very, very close. While the gulf between our two payrolls continues to widen, we've somehow managed to go toe-to-toe with them in some of the most exciting baseball ever. This offseason should serve to heighten the anticipation and provide an ever greater challenge for us. There is no doubt that our front office and our players find difficult challenges attractive [and] energizing."
Toe-to-toe? In 2003, the Sox finished 6 games back of NY. It was three back last year. Perhaps Henry should have said "we've somehow managed to extend the ALCS to seven games with them the last two years"?
"We won the World Series, and I feel like we're the underdogs again," Schilling told ESPN. "To get Randy tips the edge their way." The edge on what? Winning the World Series? Or, finishing 1st in the AL East? Last time I checked, NY has won the AL East the last 7 years in a row. Why would 2005 be any different?
"The Yankees are always the favorite," said first baseman Kevin Millar. "They're favorites because of the names they have on paper. We're going in again this year as the underdog and we don't mind that. That's the way we like it. That's the way the Sox roll. We have a bunch of guys who just grind it out. We have a few big name guys that you need, but the majority of us just all play well with each other and I think that's what makes our team so special." Yeah, Kapler, Roberts, Reese, all those "great guys" are coming back, right?
"We don't concern ourselves with what the Yankees do. We don't go tit for tat. We don't try to react to come up with moves in response of what they do," general manager Theo Epstein said recently, when Johnson's move to New York started to seem increasingly inevitable. "My philosophy with regard to the Yankees is, I assume they're going to win about 100 games a year and we have to win 100 if we want to win the division. Our whole gameplan is to try and win 95 to 100 every year to get us to the postseason so we have a chance to win the World Series every year. We spend a lot less time thinking about the Yankees and their moves than you might think. I assume going into every offseason that they're going to land probably the best position player and the best pitcher available because they have the means to do so and they're smart and they usually do. And they haven't won the World Series in a few years. We'll just focus on ourselves." Well, Theo, if you don't concern yourselves with what the Yankees do, then why the quotes here from you, Millar, Schilling, and Henry (among others)? It sure seems like you're concerned enough to feel the need to talk about the trade, etc?
Did Steinbrenner and his gang have press releases when the Sox picked up Matt Clement and Wade Miller?
Why is it that we always here from RSN when the Yankees pick up a player like Johnson or Rodriguez? One would think, coming off their 2004 post-season, for once, the Red Sox would stop looking over their shoulder at NY.
"If the Yankees acquire Randy Johnson and Carlos Beltran I am sure many will concede the World Series to them," said owner John W. Henry. "New York has improved markedly every year since we purchased the Red Sox. A year ago their acquisitions led to that [assessment] and they indeed came very, very close. While the gulf between our two payrolls continues to widen, we've somehow managed to go toe-to-toe with them in some of the most exciting baseball ever. This offseason should serve to heighten the anticipation and provide an ever greater challenge for us. There is no doubt that our front office and our players find difficult challenges attractive [and] energizing."
Toe-to-toe? In 2003, the Sox finished 6 games back of NY. It was three back last year. Perhaps Henry should have said "we've somehow managed to extend the ALCS to seven games with them the last two years"?
"We won the World Series, and I feel like we're the underdogs again," Schilling told ESPN. "To get Randy tips the edge their way." The edge on what? Winning the World Series? Or, finishing 1st in the AL East? Last time I checked, NY has won the AL East the last 7 years in a row. Why would 2005 be any different?
"The Yankees are always the favorite," said first baseman Kevin Millar. "They're favorites because of the names they have on paper. We're going in again this year as the underdog and we don't mind that. That's the way we like it. That's the way the Sox roll. We have a bunch of guys who just grind it out. We have a few big name guys that you need, but the majority of us just all play well with each other and I think that's what makes our team so special." Yeah, Kapler, Roberts, Reese, all those "great guys" are coming back, right?
"We don't concern ourselves with what the Yankees do. We don't go tit for tat. We don't try to react to come up with moves in response of what they do," general manager Theo Epstein said recently, when Johnson's move to New York started to seem increasingly inevitable. "My philosophy with regard to the Yankees is, I assume they're going to win about 100 games a year and we have to win 100 if we want to win the division. Our whole gameplan is to try and win 95 to 100 every year to get us to the postseason so we have a chance to win the World Series every year. We spend a lot less time thinking about the Yankees and their moves than you might think. I assume going into every offseason that they're going to land probably the best position player and the best pitcher available because they have the means to do so and they're smart and they usually do. And they haven't won the World Series in a few years. We'll just focus on ourselves." Well, Theo, if you don't concern yourselves with what the Yankees do, then why the quotes here from you, Millar, Schilling, and Henry (among others)? It sure seems like you're concerned enough to feel the need to talk about the trade, etc?
Did Steinbrenner and his gang have press releases when the Sox picked up Matt Clement and Wade Miller?
Why is it that we always here from RSN when the Yankees pick up a player like Johnson or Rodriguez? One would think, coming off their 2004 post-season, for once, the Red Sox would stop looking over their shoulder at NY.