Red Sox fans, quit yer whining

 

by Jack McDowell, Yahoo! Sports

February 18, 2004

 

 

 

 

OK, OK ... I've heard enough complaining from Boston Red Sox fans about the Alex Rodriguez deal. Let's be realistic: If having A-Rod on your team guaranteed a championship, he wouldn't have had to trade in his shortstop position to try for a ring.

 

The Red Sox will be fine this year. They had one of the best offenses in the game last season, and their lineup comes back this year nearly intact (with maybe a few hurt feelings). Their pitching improved with closer Keith Foulke and starter Curt Schilling leading the way. One month ago everything was A-OK.

 

Now, one player is supposed to shatter all those Beantown dreams? Relax, folks. As I have said before, one position player does not make the difference.

 

The Red Sox signing Schilling will have far more impact than the New York Yankees getting A-Rod. Starting pitching affects more games during the season than position players do. The bottom line, as always, is: Who will perform, and who will jell as a team?

 

Red Sox fans seem to have fallen into the lazy-man's attitude of hating the Yankees because they spend a lot of money. Let me remind you that money doesn't win. Teams win. For the umpteenth time, the Yankees have been successful over the past eight years because they built their organization around several great players that happened to come up together, not through buying free agents. Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera – all are homegrown and arrived at virtually the same time.

 

 

 

That's how teams win. Ask the A's. Ask the Twins. Heck, ask the Cubbies and Marlins.

 

The Curse of the Bambino is a myth that has been run up the flagpole so often it is almost believable. Almost. George Steinbrenner is not the devil, either. He is a very respectable owner who WANTS TO WIN. Nobody was complaining during the spending sprees and talent woes of the '80s and early '90s that didn't produce a playoff appearance for 13 years. No need to apologize for now going for it.

 

As for Red Sox fans, you were extremely happy a couple of days ago with your team. Now go out and kick some butt.

 

Send Yahoo! Sports analyst Jack McDowell a question or comment for potential use in a future column.

Black Jack is a pimp, and a pretty good musician as well. I hope he sticks around with this writing gig.

I feel the same way Murcie, he has some pretty good articles on Yahoo when i go over there and check it out.

Black Jack is a pimp, and a pretty good musician as well. I hope he sticks around with this writing gig.

amen i love how he flipped off the yankee fans in yankee stadium, he is king pimp

Starting pitching affects more games during the season than position players do.

 

Do you think there might be a little bias on Black Jack's part here?

You mean the "Yankee Flipper?"

 

He does seem to have a knack for writing pretty good columns/articles. At least he has a mind of his own and an original thought, unlike some of the repetitive oafs in the Chicago papers.

 

As for the Red Sox and their fans, hey, you had a chance to get A-Rod, and you blew it - plain and simple. You couldn't, or wouldn't, find a way to complete a deal to acquire him, and the Yankees DID find a way to complete a deal. Deal with it.

 

Quit yer b****in' already. So now you're stuck with the 2nd best shortstop in baseball instead. Boo hoo. You poor tortured souls. Someone send a truckload of tissues to Boston.