Middlebrooks gone?

[Navafan29]

Well according to my longtime baseball fan Dad, guys are moving around way more now than they used to, and I always thought this to be true. The current state of the game is okay, but I don't want it to get exaggerated much more. The reason I don't think it's healthy for the game for Drew to switch to the Yanks is because we already lost one of our championship team position players to them. It would ruin the drama of the rivalry too much if two of them converted. The rivalry is healthy for the character and history of the game.

[mvp 78]

Well according to my longtime baseball fan Dad, guys are moving around way more now than they used to, and I always thought this to be true. The current state of the game is okay, but I don't want it to get exaggerated much more. The reason I don't think it's healthy for the game for Drew to switch to the Yanks is because we already lost one of our championship team position players to them. It would ruin the drama of the rivalry too much if two of them converted. The rivalry is healthy for the character and history of the game.

 

Wouldn't it provide for MORE drama?

[Navafan29]

Wouldn't it provide for MORE drama?

 

Possibly, short-term. If this kind of thing becomes routine like it's no big deal then it might hurt the rivalry though. Depends on how the public looks at it I suppose.

[User Name]

What you're saying makes no sense.

[Spudboy]

"Maine"

 

 

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!

[sk7326]

Well according to my longtime baseball fan Dad, guys are moving around way more now than they used to, and I always thought this to be true. The current state of the game is okay, but I don't want it to get exaggerated much more. The reason I don't think it's healthy for the game for Drew to switch to the Yanks is because we already lost one of our championship team position players to them. It would ruin the drama of the rivalry too much if two of them converted. The rivalry is healthy for the character and history of the game.

 

For the players, they are gigs ... at the end of the day, the same cartel trying to make as much money as possible. Some owners are better than others, like any other company in competitive space.

 

That said, rivalries are about the games. Even the blessed Yankees rivalry - I felt nothing during the Stump Merrill/Hensley Muelens years. What is funny about Sox-Yanks is how rarely the teams have been good at the same time ... basically the 70s and now. Indeed it took until 1999 for us to play in the postseason. For that reason, Tampa is not much less of a rival - we have a long history of important games with them since their rise to power.

[Bellhorn04]

Wouldn't it provide for MORE drama?

 

Maybe. You could also say that if Ortiz goes to the Yankees in 2015 it would provide more drama too. Or you could say it would make you sick and angry.

[User Name]

He's not talking about a Red Sox perspective. He's talking about a media buzz/rivalry talk perspective, and from that POV, it makes sense.

[sk7326]

He's not talking about a Red Sox perspective. He's talking about a media buzz/rivalry talk perspective, and from that POV, it makes sense.

 

I am skeptical there - the Sox-Yanks have had SO MANY guys play on both sides of the fence for so long ... it has not affected the rivalry as much as the teams records themselves. Babe Ruth, Ralph Houk, Sparkly Lyle, Mike Stanley, Johnny Damon, David Wells, David Cone, Don Baylor, Mike Torrez, Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens etc etc etc

[User Name]

Yeah but we're in media-crazed 2014. I don't think you're recalling correctly just how much media time the Damon-to-Yankees saga got back in the mid-2000's.

[Bellhorn04]

He's not talking about a Red Sox perspective. He's talking about a media buzz/rivalry talk perspective, and from that POV, it makes sense.

 

Well, this is kind of a nebulous issue IMO, but if we focus on the one specific scenario of Drew signing with the Yankees, I think that might tend to affect Sox and Yankee fans/media a lot more than it would affect general baseball fans/media. With a big name like Ortiz it's a different story.

 

Was Damon going to the Yankees good for the rivalry/buzz...if so, in a big way? I don't think it had that big of an impact on baseball in general.

[User Name]

Damon to Yankees got a lot of play in the media. Drew by himself wouldn't be a big deal. Ellsbury + Drew would be a lot better for media fodder.

[Bellhorn04]

Red Sox-Yankees rivalry/buzz is at its peak when the two teams are duking it out for a postseason spot or meeting in the postseason.

[User Name]

As is logical. But the other time when the rivalry is at its best is when the media's hyping it up prior to the season.

[Bellhorn04]

Getting back to MVP's point, taken to its extreme this might mean that selling Babe to the Yanks was 'good for the rivalry'. Plus all those other players they took from us in that time frame. They raped us, basically. That created a type of drama too, in the form of years of untold anguish for Sox fans and Dan Shaughnessy getting rich.

[sk7326]

Yeah but we're in media-crazed 2014. I don't think you're recalling correctly just how much media time the Damon-to-Yankees saga got back in the mid-2000's.

 

I remember, although it is impossible to separate the team switch within the context of both teams being extremely good and relevant while it was happening. I think it can add some spice to a rivalry, but not a substitute for the bedrock stuff - good teams being good at the same time.

[User Name]

Getting back to MVP's point, taken to its extreme this might mean that selling Babe to the Yanks was 'good for the rivalry'. Plus all those other players they took from us in that time frame. They raped us, basically. That created a type of drama too, in the form of years of untold anguish for Sox fans and Dan Shaughnessy getting rich.

 

But that's the point. His initial point was not about on-field performance, it was about rivalry popularity and drama.

[mvp 78]

Maybe. You could also say that if Ortiz goes to the Yankees in 2015 it would provide more drama too. Or you could say it would make you sick and angry.

 

I don't really care about the drama. I agree that if Ortiz donned pinstripes, it would make me sick and my wife would be too upset to watch the game. I'm not a proponent of sending players to the Yanks to manufacture drama. I'd rather the teams just remain competitive. The past 2 years, both teams have struggled and have tanked the rivalry a bit. Having Ells in NY will probably make the average sports fan more likely to pay attention to the first few series. After that, it's up to the teams to stay competitive.

[mvp 78]

But that's the point. His initial point was not about on-field performance, it was about rivalry popularity and drama.

 

The ESPN narrative.

[User Name]

...which is exactly what we saw when Damon donned pinstripes.

[mvp 78]

Well, this is kind of a nebulous issue IMO, but if we focus on the one specific scenario of Drew signing with the Yankees, I think that might tend to affect Sox and Yankee fans/media a lot more than it would affect general baseball fans/media. With a big name like Ortiz it's a different story.

 

Was Damon going to the Yankees good for the rivalry/buzz...if so, in a big way? I don't think it had that big of an impact on baseball in general.

I don't think the Damon signing had much of an impact since the Sox won in 04 and Damon had been on multiple teams previously. He was a nice little player, but definitely not of Ortiz's caliber. At that point the rivalry was still a little hot, but had cooled from the 03-04 peak.

[mvp 78]

Damon to Yankees got a lot of play in the media. Drew by himself wouldn't be a big deal. Ellsbury + Drew would be a lot better for media fodder.

 

Yeah, it was a big "story", but after his first plate appearance, most people got over it.

[mvp 78]

@GlobeChadFinn: (1/2) Statement from NESN spokesman Gary Roy: NESN has an active search for a Red Sox sideline reporter ...

 

@GlobeChadFinn: (2/2) Jenny Dell, a multi-talented on-air personality, is anchoring NESN Sports Today and handling other assignments for NESN.

[YAZMAN]

@GlobeChadFinn: (2/2) Jenny Dell, a multi-talented on-air personality, is anchoring NESN Sports Today and handling other assignments for NESN.

 

some of which were responsible for her re-assignment...

[mvp 78]

some of which were responsible for her re-assignment...

 

You mean "getting wet and sprayed down with various liquids after the WS?"

[cbbosox]

Well a lot of people blasted me for starting this thread. Glad to see it was Dell instead of Middlebrooks but i knew they wouldn't keep them both.

[Palodios]

Well a lot of people blasted me for starting this thread. Glad to see it was Dell instead of Middlebrooks but i knew they wouldn't keep them both.

 

It was always going to be Dell. Middlebrooks is a 30 HR third basemen. Dell... eats hotdogs and looks pretty.

[SoxSport]

Looks like Jenny has struck gold--assuming Middlebrooks sticks in the major leagues.

[sk7326]

Well a lot of people blasted me for starting this thread. Glad to see it was Dell instead of Middlebrooks but i knew they wouldn't keep them both.

 

This was pretty obvious. Dell is lucky NESN is sticking with her in any capacity at all - not that she would not have found a gig, but saves her the trouble. Even as a sideline reporter who was basically just rattling off social media questions - there is sufficient credibility issues when the relationship was revealed. Of course NESN given its ownership makes that position fairly empty - not like the network level with the Doris Burke's or Pam Oliver's who actually get interesting information during the broadcasts.

[mvp 78]

She's not a reporter! When did she report anything? She just makes 2-3 random remarks throughout the game that usually have nothing to do with baseball. She was just a replaceable pretty face with no substance.