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OldGiants · 10-13-2003, 11:34 AM

My local paper carried a great column by Adrian Wojnarowski of the Bergen Record about this. I tried to find a link to it, but nothing recent came up. Here's what I have time to type:

Pedro Marinez performed the part of the punk perfectly, throwing the ball at the head of Karim Garcia, warinng Jorge Posada of the the danger awaiting him in the batter's box and ultimately winning one scintillating scrap on Saturday, slipping a Don Zimmer left hook and throwing the old man to the ground.

It is one thing to stand on New England soil, declare absolutely no fear of the Evil Empire and be a tough tenacious, terror to the Yankees--and another to be a colossal coward, never needing to to live the consequences of his frightening fastball with his own trips to the batter's box.

MOst of all, Martinez is a fantastic failure in the face of the Yankees, losing his humanity, intending to injure, leaving little reason to dispute the difference between New York and Boston, between champions who find ways to win and losers who self-destruct.

He wasn't alone in disgrace... As long as the two most talented, most well-paid, most important players for the franchise are Martinez and Manny Ramirez, they'll be holding seances and performing exorcisms at Fenway Park for 185 years. Another Red Sox-Yankees classic, another chapter in Boston's losing saga.

There isn't a curse, just a complete absence of courage. With Marinez throwing at Garcia, with Ramirez marching to the mound, clutching a bat on a ridiculously pedestrian pitch by Clemens, the theme is never going to change for these Red Sox. They're too busy posing and preening ...to take the time to beat the Yankees when it matters the most.

Whne it counted, the cast of champions--Clemens, Jeter, Rivera--stayed cool and delivered.

It is no coincidence that the Red Sox lose these games and the Yankees win them. It is no accident.

Martinez picked a fight with the Yankees that he couldn't win. Again. Ramirez started to the mound with a bat in his hand, but swinging it, he struck out like a frightened fawn. Scared stiff. When the game was over, there was no accountabiltiy. Martinez wouldn't talk, neither would Ramirez.

[the column says Nelson and Garcia were stupid to attack the groundskeeper, then quotes Scott Sauerbeck:]

"It came up that it was a grounds crew guy. We all felt kind of bad. We wanted to help him. If we had known it was him, we would have jumped over and help him."

{Wojnarowski continues:]

They probably would have gotten pounded too. After all, when it comes to the Yankees, that's all the Red Sox have ever understood.

And maybe ever will.

EDITED for several egregious spelling errors--OG

10-13-2003, 11:34 AM	#60
OldGiants Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 211	My local paper carried a great column by Adrian Wojnarowski of the Bergen Record about this. I tried to find a link to it, but nothing recent came up. Here's what I have time to type: Pedro Marinez performed the part of the punk perfectly, throwing the ball at the head of Karim Garcia, warinng Jorge Posada of the the danger awaiting him in the batter's box and ultimately winning one scintillating scrap on Saturday, slipping a Don Zimmer left hook and throwing the old man to the ground. It is one thing to stand on New England soil, declare absolutely no fear of the Evil Empire and be a tough tenacious, terror to the Yankees--and another to be a colossal coward, never needing to to live the consequences of his frightening fastball with his own trips to the batter's box. MOst of all, Martinez is a fantastic failure in the face of the Yankees, losing his humanity, intending to injure, leaving little reason to dispute the difference between New York and Boston, between champions who find ways to win and losers who self-destruct. He wasn't alone in disgrace... As long as the two most talented, most well-paid, most important players for the franchise are Martinez and Manny Ramirez, they'll be holding seances and performing exorcisms at Fenway Park for 185 years. Another Red Sox-Yankees classic, another chapter in Boston's losing saga. There isn't a curse, just a complete absence of courage. With Marinez throwing at Garcia, with Ramirez marching to the mound, clutching a bat on a ridiculously pedestrian pitch by Clemens, the theme is never going to change for these Red Sox. They're too busy posing and preening ...to take the time to beat the Yankees when it matters the most. Whne it counted, the cast of champions--Clemens, Jeter, Rivera--stayed cool and delivered. It is no coincidence that the Red Sox lose these games and the Yankees win them. It is no accident. Martinez picked a fight with the Yankees that he couldn't win. Again. Ramirez started to the mound with a bat in his hand, but swinging it, he struck out like a frightened fawn. Scared stiff. When the game was over, there was no accountabiltiy. Martinez wouldn't talk, neither would Ramirez. [the column says Nelson and Garcia were stupid to attack the groundskeeper, then quotes Scott Sauerbeck:] "It came up that it was a grounds crew guy. We all felt kind of bad. We wanted to help him. If we had known it was him, we would have jumped over and help him." {Wojnarowski continues:] They probably would have gotten pounded too. After all, when it comes to the Yankees, that's all the Red Sox have ever understood. And maybe ever will. EDITED for several egregious spelling errors--OG Last edited by OldGiants; 10-13-2003 at 11:38 AM.