Before I get to Thursday night's debacle at Fenway Park, I'd like to finally link to one of the saddest baseball scenes I saw this year, this photo taken by Barry Zito at spring training.
What do you see among the suffocating autograph hounds? Awe-struck, middle-aged adults. Hey, we all sought John Hancocks at one point in our lives. Then we started liking girls.
If not for the fanaticism, though, Barry Zito wouldn't be as rich. So I didn't feel sorry for anyone.
And so I don't feel sorry for anyone involved in the Gary Sheffield-Red Sux fan confrontation Thursday night. Sheffield makes quite a bit of coin on beer sales. Believe it. Not directly, but most certainly indirectly. It's part of MLB's revenue and part of Sheff's salary. That's the game we play. I'm not here to preach on alcohol sales, not saying who's right and wrong, but that's the straight-up truth. Players make money off of booze, and if you don't know the effect that has on some fans, then you're probably not smart enough to know how many outs are in an inning. Play with fire ... well, you know the rest.
So who's right and who's wrong? Who knows? I can only guess at what the intentions were of the fan who took an obvious swipe at something — the ball, his cap, his grill, whatever. Even if he was just trying to grab the ball, which is what it seems a lot of people were doing, I can't comprehend the logic. An obvious bases-clearing shot in fair territory is not something a smart Boston fan would want to halt to a two-base hit. But I've seen, time and time again, fans' inability to know their role — spectators and nothing more.
I've personally seen a girl injured because of fans diving over rows of seats to score themselves a $10 game ball. Absolutely pathetic. Count me as one of the few people who never wants a foul ball hit near him. I see people act that desperate and I want to throw up.
Y'all know I have my fun here as resident Yankee propagandist. I wear my interlocking NY with pride and appreciate the laughs I have with friends who support such enemies as the Sux and Mutts. I choose those pals based on our capability in sensibility, knowing there are smart people in every team's fans base. And there are assholes, too. Unfortunately, you can't always choose who walks into a bar or buys a ticket to a game. You will always have the asshole quotient to deal with.
Yankees fans who try to paint Thursday night's fracas as something typical of the entirety of Red Sux fans should ask themselves why beer sales are prohibited in the bleacher sections of Yankee Stadium. That is, by far, the most embarrassing regularity I've ever heard imposed on fans. The fact that they acted like such assholes, for years, that a for-profit company would turn away their ungodly amounts of money over an 81-game home schedule, all because their actions weren't worth the loot, is unfathomable.
As a whole, I'd safely say that, since 2003, Red Sux fans have been the most instigating, crass, inflammatory, provocative, insufferable, bandwagoning (at least here; believe it) pricks I've ever encountered in a quarter-century of attending live sporting events. But some are cool, too. And the cool fans, on both sides, have to have been staring at the screen in the eighth inning thinking, "I'm fucking embarrassed right now."
(And, yes, that was another Red Sux looney who ran onto the field and tried to slide into home plate after the final out. Another shining example of idiocy.)
Sheffield-Fan Links:
• Boston Dirt Dogs: Foul Play by Bandwagon Chooch Fraud-Fan Embarrasses the City of Boston — Psst. Don't tell anyone, but I love the Boston Dirt Dogs site. It cracks me up, and I always felt like we were on the same page in terms of propaganda/true baseball fan/just having some fun. Their subhead reads; "This is what happens when Nation 'cardholders,' who don't know enough to keep their hands in the stands, go to games instead of real baseball fans, who can't get tickets to Fenway anymore. Sheff should have clocked the assclown."
• ESPN.com SportsNation: Fans React — Kinda surprises me that so many people are against the fan, considering the anti-Yankees vibe that ESPN.com exists to cultivate. Still haven't read one good reason why the fan would have been swiping his arm like that on a ball that had been fair for several seconds.
Today's Sports Links:
• King Kaufman Reviews 'Three Nights in August' — In my opinion, King is the most underrated online sports columnist around. And this piece is a shining example of how he makes thoughtful, engaging arguments that make for a great daily read.
• Three Questions With Mike Pizza — I just love the title of this Sporting News feature. Three questions? Where did they interview him, in line at Starbucks?
• Lightning Rod: Rodriguez Has Talent For Ticking Off Peers — This is all news to me, as the Sux and Yanks both went hard after this guy. One veteran comments on "the way Rodriguez and Jeter race each other to the top step of the dugout to congratulate teammates and celebrate important plays." The same player also says A-Rod is "10 times better." Couldn't really tell, though, could you. How funny does it look now that the Rangers actually names him captain. You know in any Yanks-Sux series that captains Jeter and Varitek show up to ball. A-Rod's lucky to get a bloop hit to right.
• Video: Worst Halftime Show of All Time — Absolutely hilarious clip from what seems like a soccer game. Has to be a put-on, right?
• Ultimate NFL Mock Draft — SI.com does what I've always wanted to do. How would NFL teams select players if everyone was available, fantasy-league style? They have Michael Vick at No. 1 and I think you'd have to be insane to pick him over Peyton Manning. Vick's not even close to Randall Cunningham in his prime. Or Daunte Culpepper behind Randy Moss? You really think a player like Randy Moss is harder to replace than a franchise QB like Culpepper? No f'ing way.
Finally, Apropos of Nothing:
The worst spam mail I've ever received.
Subject: mad black woman
Body: I am 45 years old, i don't do oral sex
Now why in the world would I ever respond to that?!?!
Surprisingly nice post about the whole incident Paul. I was expecting a rant about how terrible the Sox fans are, but its nice to see you looked at it objectively. I agree the fan was wrong in reaching over into the field. I actually think that, in his drunken state, he might have though his friend was reaching for the ball and he was trying to slap his pal's arm away. To me this makes the most sense, especially cuz his follow-through ends up around his buddy's face.
Sheff definately overreacted though. Most players would throw the ball in, THEN point the guy out and have him ejected. Sheff threw a freaking haymaker. And really, the guy barely touched the side of his head. If that was someone faster than Tek, Sheff's tantrum would have cost the yanks another run, cuz that would have been an inside the parker.
Also, how the hell was Sheff allowed to stay in the game? If that has been the exact same scenario, except with Milton Bradley or Carl Everett, they would have been tossed and has their suspensions before they got to the clubhouse.
Posted by Conley at April 15, 2005 3:46 AM