Anaheim Angels In The Outfield.

[Coach McGuirk]

Apparently Boston fans expected Papelbon to have a 0.00 ERA forever.

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/news/story?id=4552038

Do the BoSox now have the Henderson Curse after this poor decision?

The Red Sox wanted the Angels to relive a nightmare.

Down 0-2 in the series, Boston carted out Dave Henderson to throw out Sunday's ceremonial first pitch. It was Henderson who hit the dramatic ninth-inning, two-run homer off Donnie Moore and the one-strike-away Angels in Game 5 of the 1986 American League Championship Series.

"That was terrible," Angels center fielder Torii Hunter said. "I love Dave Henderson, but looking at that, I'm like, 'What are they trying to say?' They probably shouldn't have brought him out. It was bad luck, I guess."

The Hit



The Run,




The aftermath,



The Celebration,

[TripletDaddy]

Has there been a franchise in pro sports that has squandered more goodwill than the Red Socks? They went from lovable losers to insufferable a-holes in the span of about 2 weeks.

I remember watching the series vs the Yanks. It was Game 4 and the Socks were down 0-3, as everyone recalls. Not sure if anyone remembers, but someone in stands was holding a sign that made it on TV. It said, "Make History or We're History." I thought that was a cool sign. I also thought that the Socks were done for the year....yet again. And we would have to hear about the Yankees in the media, yet again.

After a magical and improbable magic carpet ride into late October, the Socks had won. The entire country had been swept up in watching the Yankees crumble in epic fashion, as well as watching the end of perhaps the most legendary sports legend of all time...the Curse of the Bambino.

Even Bill Simmons's usual drivel seemed interesting in the week that followed.

It became evident that the Curse of the Bambino had an unintended consequence on the Red Socks. Not only had the team failed to win it all....the fans had forgotten how to behave when the team won it all. In the weeks that followed, Red Socks hats popped up everywhere. All of a sudden, everyone was a life-long Socks fan. Everyone had a story that connected them to the team. People that went to school in Boston (despite being sports fans in their hometowns out of state their whole lives prior to college), all of a sudden "lived and died" with the Socks. People that lived in New England at any time in their lives were Socks fans. They were coming out of the woodwork.

What turned me off to them was something very unexpected. It wasn't even the bandwagon nature of many of the new hangers-on. As a Lakers fan, I can't exactly claim immunity from this phenomenon, as the Lakers have their awful share of poser fans. No, indeed, the great irony is that I was offended and annoyed when Red Socks fans began to taunt the Yankees. They had won once, compared to the Yankees recent run of 4, and now all of a sudden they wanted everyone to know about it. They were so bush that they didn't even realize they were being bush. Then they compounded it......instead of rallying the fanbases of every other major league team (all of which HATE the New York Yankees)...they turned on everyone. They could have been the David that slew Goliath. The fans could have been gracious and shared their victory with the world...much like the Angels when they finally won one for the Cowboy. Instead, what we saw was a repugnant arrogance of a fanbase that had basically won one championship in the past century.

It is hard to explain, but for whatever reason, I guess Socks fans had decades of frustration that they wanted to let loose and they couldn't control themselves. All of a sudden, their one (yes, it was a nice win, but it still was only one) WS win in the past almost 100 years put them on par with the New York Yankees...at least it did so in their mind. Socks fans were brazen. They seemed to forget that the Florida Marlins even won twice in recent memory.

I guess I never recovered from that fateful Fall. I wanted to support the Socks. I thought it would be great for their fanbase. Now, Red Socks fans are a non-entity. The franchise is no longer suffering from a curse, so they have nothing of real interest to offer the rest of the country, at least in terms of national intrigue. And now that they have won a couple of times in recent memory, they aren't even "lovable losers." They are now simply a mediocre franchise that has enjoyed a really nice run recently, but hadn't done anything since the Great Depression. In short, in winning, they totally lost their identity. They lost everything that made them cool.

Anyway, nice job Angels. Maybe we can start a new curse for Boston.

[DU Ute]

Has there been a franchise in pro sports that has squandered more goodwill than the Red Socks?

Great post. After attending game 3 of the '07 Series I vowed to never cheer for the Red Sox again. Their fans were like drunk BYU fans. Insufferable.

[Coach McGuirk]

Great post. After attending game 3 of the '07 Series I vowed to never cheer for the Red Sox again. Their fans were like drunk BYU fans. Insufferable.

Drunk BYU fans could be an improvement.

[LA Ute]

Has there been a franchise in pro sports that has squandered more goodwill than the Red Socks? They went from lovable losers to insufferable a-holes in the span of about 2 weeks.

I remember watching the series vs the Yanks. It was Game 4 and the Socks were down 0-3, as everyone recalls. Not sure if anyone remembers, but someone in stands was holding a sign that made it on TV. It said, "Make History or We're History." I thought that was a cool sign. I also thought that the Socks were done for the year....yet again. And we would have to hear about the Yankees in the media, yet again.

After a magical and improbable magic carpet ride into late October, the Socks had won. The entire country had been swept up in watching the Yankees crumble in epic fashion, as well as watching the end of perhaps the most legendary sports legend of all time...the Curse of the Bambino.

Even Bill Simmons's usual drivel seemed interesting in the week that followed.

It became evident that the Curse of the Bambino had an unintended consequence on the Red Socks. Not only had the team failed to win it all....the fans had forgotten how to behave when the team won it all. In the weeks that followed, Red Socks hats popped up everywhere. All of a sudden, everyone was a life-long Socks fan. Everyone had a story that connected them to the team. People that went to school in Boston (despite being sports fans in their hometowns out of state their whole lives prior to college), all of a sudden "lived and died" with the Socks. People that lived in New England at any time in their lives were Socks fans. They were coming out of the woodwork.

What turned me off to them was something very unexpected. It wasn't even the bandwagon nature of many of the new hangers-on. As a Lakers fan, I can't exactly claim immunity from this phenomenon, as the Lakers have their awful share of poser fans. No, indeed, the great irony is that I was offended and annoyed when Red Socks fans began to taunt the Yankees. They had won once, compared to the Yankees recent run of 4, and now all of a sudden they wanted everyone to know about it. They were so bush that they didn't even realize they were being bush. Then they compounded it......instead of rallying the fanbases of every other major league team (all of which HATE the New York Yankees)...they turned on everyone. They could have been the David that slew Goliath. The fans could have been gracious and shared their victory with the world...much like the Angels when they finally won one for the Cowboy. Instead, what we saw was a repugnant arrogance of a fanbase that had basically won one championship in the past century.

It is hard to explain, but for whatever reason, I guess Socks fans had decades of frustration that they wanted to let loose and they couldn't control themselves. All of a sudden, their one (yes, it was a nice win, but it still was only one) WS win in the past almost 100 years put them on par with the New York Yankees...at least it did so in their mind. Socks fans were brazen. They seemed to forget that the Florida Marlins even won twice in recent memory.

I guess I never recovered from that fateful Fall. I wanted to support the Socks. I thought it would be great for their fanbase. Now, Red Socks fans are a non-entity. The franchise is no longer suffering from a curse, so they have nothing of real interest to offer the rest of the country, at least in terms of national intrigue. And now that they have won a couple of times in recent memory, they aren't even "lovable losers." They are now simply a mediocre franchise that has enjoyed a really nice run recently, but hadn't done anything since the Great Depression. In short, in winning, they totally lost their identity. They lost everything that made them cool.

Anyway, nice job Angels. Maybe we can start a new curse for Boston.

Thanks. As a long-time Sox fan I've never understood Red Sox hatred. (I've never really understood Laker hatred either.) But you helped. I hope your anti-Sox feelings fade as their fans get over the miraculous (and truly wonderful) 2004 season. I think it's kinda silly to hate a franchise because of dumb bandwagon fans, or dumb fans at a particular game, but . . . that's sports.

[TripletDaddy]

Thanks. As a long-time Sox fan I've never understood Red Sox hatred. (I've never really understood Laker hatred either.) But you helped. I hope your anti-Sox feelings fade as their fans get over the miraculous (and truly wonderful) 2004 season. I think it's kinda silly to hate a franchise because of dumb bandwagon fans, or dumb fans at a particular game, but . . . that's sports.

It isn't "hate" for the franchise. The franchise itself doesn't exist beyond paper. It is the fanbase. Insufferable and annoying.

Everyone hates the Yankees for the same reason everyone hates the Lakers....they win. A lot. I can deal with Yankees fans simply because the team wins a lot. Of course the fans are going to gloat.

Boston went into that WS with unprecedented goodwill. It was the feel-good story of the ages. That anyone now can't stand these guys is a testament to poor fan behavior. The franchise itself has done nothing wrong. They go out, sign good players, and field a good team. that is what teams should do.

And just to clarify...nobody hated the Socks prior to 2004 because there was nothing to hate. Watching Boston/New York baseball games was akin to watching NASCAR....sooner or later you were going to see a crash. It was just a question of when, not if. This is why I posted my post. In an incredibly short span, this fanbase took one of the most intriguing franchises and turned it into a bit of a pariah.

[Coach McGuirk]

Matchups Announced

Game 1

Lackey v Sabathia

Game 2

Saunders v Burnett

Game 3

Weaver v Pettitte

Game 4

Kazmir v TBA


Go Halos!

[Pheidippides]

Thanks. As a long-time Sox fan I've never understood Red Sox hatred. (I've never really understood Laker hatred either.) But you helped. I hope your anti-Sox feelings fade as their fans get over the miraculous (and truly wonderful) 2004 season. I think it's kinda silly to hate a franchise because of dumb bandwagon fans, or dumb fans at a particular game, but . . . that's sports.

You are also a Sox fan? I have to rethink my position on you.

My father is from Boston and I was born with the fandom. I lived in NYC during 2004, and it was awesome. But I am sad that our fan base seems to have become the exact thing we have spent years hating.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I don't know how I am supposed to feel as a die hard Dodger blue man, but I think a freeway series would be cool.

[LA Ute]

You are also a Sox fan? I have to rethink my position on you.

My father is from Boston and I was born with the fandom. I lived in NYC during 2004, and it was awesome. But I am sad that our fan base seems to have become the exact thing we have spent years hating.

I've followed them closely since I was 12. I won't let 4 years of a few dummy bandwagon fans change how I feel about the Sox. (-muffled sob-)

[Donuthole]

I don't know how I am supposed to feel as a die hard Dodger blue man, but I think a freeway series would be cool.

Ok, that made me chuckle.

[Viking]

Let's go Yankees, Let's GO!

[DU Ute]

Let's go Yankees, Let's GO!

BOOOOO!!!!!!!!

[DU Ute]

BS call on that double play, they should give them that!

[YOhio]

BS call on that double play, they should give them that!

Haha. Dumdum should have touched the base.