Thursday, December 11, 2008

NEW OLD JERSEYS, AND HIDEOUS HATS

What are we? The fucking Devil Rays? The Marlins? We have 4 jerseys now! No, wait, with the green ones that's 5! And now we have our very own "alternative cap?"

I'm bullshit about this. Absolutely positively about to have an aneurysm kind of bullshit. Kick the dog, bite your own tongue 'til it bleeds kind of bullshit.

I don't mind the new road jerseys. I actually like them. They remind me of the new Bruins' jerseys. A sense of history with a bit of modern style. They make a statement without being too loud.



But now we have alternate home jerseys (the red ones) AND alternate road jerseys? What the fuck?



I'm sorry, but that's a spring training warmup, not a Major League Baseball uniform, and certainly not the uniform of a 108 year old team like the Red Sox. Laundry like this should never leave Fort Myers.

But the worst part. The absolute worst part of all this pre-Holiday promotional garbage is the hat that belongs in McCoy Stadium down in Pawtucket, not in Fenway. This is a joke. I can't believe the Boston Red Sox will be taking the field with this travesty atop their heads.



It's not that these things look particularly ugly. And certainly there are worse jerseys around baseball. But why change? How much money is enough? Don't the Red Sox sell enough pink and green and turquoise merchandise for Luchino to survive through the stormy waters of today's stock market?

The Red Sox have 5 different jerseys. That's one more than the Royals. Nuf said.

Source:
Extra Bases

MARK TEIXEIRA, CC SABATHIA, AND MEMORIES OF 2000


November 30, 2000: The New York Yankees sign free agent Mike Mussina to a 5 year, $68 million deal. Which seemed big at the time.

December 19, 2000: Seemingly in response to the Mussina signing (the Sox had made offers, but they fell on deaf ears), the Red Sox sign slugger Manny Ramirez to an 8 year, $160 million deal.

December 10, 2008: The Yankees sign top free agent pitcher CC Sabathia to a 6 year, $160 million deal. But this time, Red Sox Nation laughs at the Yanks for overspending. What a difference two Championships make.

December ?, 2008: the Red Sox overpay to sign Mark Teixeira.

It's going to happen, it's just a question of when and for how much. And I can't help but remember 2000 when we all labeled Dan Duquette a reactionist for signing Manny Ramirez to such a huge contract. We all figured Mussina would extend the Yankee dynasty into the 21st century. Thankfully we were wrong.

But CC Sabathia is not Mike Mussina. We might all laugh at how much extra the Yankees have to pay in order to convince him to come to the Bronx. We might predict he'll break down for some reason. But the Yankees can afford to overpay him. And there's no reason to believe Sabathia will falter physically in the next 6 years.

However, the Yankees just acquired one of the best pitchers in baseball. A pitcher who has proven he can succeed in the AL. A pitcher who has never started fewer than 28 games.

And they're not done spending. They might also acquire former Sox and former Dodgers Derek Lowe and Manny Ramirez.

The AL East just became a three horse race. And Mark Teixiera's production replacing Mike Lowell's won't be enough to give the Sox the inside track.

Source:
Baseball-Reference.com