Major League Baseball 2009

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'm sorry, who are you to tell someone they're not a real fan? That is just bullshit.

Agreed.

I just don't think you "live and die" with the Mets.

I do. I also live and die with the Yankees. I see no conflict, in general.

It's only WHEN THEY PLAY EACH OTHER that I have to make a choice. True, in that case I would choose the Yankees, but that doesn't make me any less of a Mets fan. That's for one simple reason: THEY ALMOST NEVER PLAY EACH OTHER. How many times do I have to keep repeating the fact that THEY ALMOST NEVER PLAY EACH OTHER?

(Something like Yankees/Red Sox is different, of course, since they are in the same league, and regularly compete. But there is no Yankees/Mets conflict; since THEY ALMOST NEVER PLAY EACH OTHER. Logically a rivalry can only exist where the two teams regularly play each other.)

 

[mimic]

I'm sorry, who are you to tell someone they're not a real fan? That is just bullshit.

It's just my opinion. I'm not changing it.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

It's just my opinion. I'm not changing it.

And I'm not changing mine either. You have failed.

 

[mimic]

If that's your definition of failure you have failed as well.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

If that's your definition of failure you have failed as well.

I suppose so. Although in that case, it's just as well. I may not have convinced you that cross-town rivalries are logically impossible, but neither have you succeeded in making me stop being a Mets fan. So I'm willing to take the bad with the good.

 

[mimic]

I never mentioned cross town rivalries and I never tried to convince you to stop rooting for the Mets. I questioned whether or not you are anything more than a casual Mets fan, and thus your qualifications to answer Alidar's question. Were you even rooting for the Mets in 2007?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Were you even rooting for the Mets in 2007?

Yes.

And I just realized why you're all over this. You're sticking that knife in just because it was the Phillies who killed 'em that year. You are gloating. Well, it ain't gonna fly.

 

[mimic]

Okay. I just remember that baseball is a fairly new thing for you. I thought you started following last year.

 

[Scout101]

(Something like Yankees/Red Sox is different, of course, since they are in the same league, and regularly compete. But there is no Yankees/Mets conflict; since THEY ALMOST NEVER PLAY EACH OTHER. Logically a rivalry can only exist where the two teams regularly play each other.)

Then again, you (as a Yankees fan) were also cheering the Red Sox on here in 2007, so you're kinda all over the place there.

Sports bigamy is kinda a lame phenomenon. It's ok to be a casual fan, or a fan of the game in general, but when you start declaring more than one team your favorite, or sport the avatar of one team while telling people you live and die with the games of their rivals (either locality, or division), it's gonna raise some eyebrows...

 

[mimic]

Sports bigamy is kinda a lame phenomenon.

Ha, I like that phrase.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Then again, you (as a Yankees fan) were also cheering the Red Sox on here in 2007, so you're kinda all over the place there.

Two things about that: 1) That was only because they were playing the Indians in the ALCS, and the Indians had just finished beating the Yankees in the ALDS. So I felt that I could not turn around and cheer for a team that I had just been rooting against. 2) I realized that the immediately preceding attitude was wrong.

or sport the avatar of one team while telling people you live and die with the games of their rivals (either locality, or division)

But like I just said, I do not recognize cross-town rivalries.

 

[mimic]

And I just realized why you're all over this. You're sticking that knife in just because it was the Phillies who killed 'em that year. You are gloating. Well, it ain't gonna fly.

No. I'd have to believe you were a passionate Mets fan for that.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ hey, if Citi Field had 'bleacher creatures' (or, indeed, if they even had bleachers), I'd be right there too.

 

[pookha]

I'll take this year over the past two. 2006, 7, and 8 all had gut wrenching endings.

In 2006 they were this close to the World Series, which they had a great chance to win as the Tigers ended up playing like crap against St. Louis.

2007 was one of the biggest gag acts of all time. It felt like a runaway train heading hopelessly toward the edge of the cliff the last week or so.

Last year had the "This can't be happening again!" factor to it.

This year, they were done by the end of July. Totally wasted year with all the injuries. I haven't paid much attention lately, just generally apathetic.

Complete inteptitude is easier than killer endings.

yeah that is me.
once i saw all the injuries go up i knew the end was near.

 

[mimic]

If the Braves sweep the Phillies I will buy everyone in this thread a coke.

Early in the season the Braves had the Phillies number but that appears to have flipped down the stretch. Good thing, in my book.

Ryan Howard drives me bonkers for much of the year, but come September I'm always glad to have him. 40 HRs!

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I don't care what some columnist says. I won't give up on the Mets even if they're doing badly. And no game is ever irrelevant.

I was unconvinced that you counted as a Mets fan before, but after reading that comment I know for a fact that you aren't one.

Oh, really? Care to explain? I'd loooooooooove to hear this.

I think it's the idea that you root for the teams, but aren't really apart of the culture and fan mentality of those teams (or the mentality of any sports team in general). The fact that you were a Red Sox fan until a couple of years ago is part of this and the fact that you are a Mets fan now continues it.

BTW, sort of related to this, tomorrow I will pretend to be a part of Red Sox Nation (mimic, don't hate me, the other option would be to root for the travesty that is the Baltimore Orioles while surrounded by Sox fans). This doesn't affect my status as a Phillies fan because, if they lose the game, I'll be disappointed for about 20 seconds and then ask someone to find out what the Phillies score is. There's also no history of a rivalry or interaction, although I think MLB wants to set up an interleague rivalry if they could.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The fact that you were a Red Sox fan until a couple of years ago is part of this and the fact that you are a Mets fan now continues it.

I was never a Red Sox fan, as such, I was just cheering for them during the 2007 ALCS. And even then, it wasn't necessarily a case of cheering *for the Sox*, it was more like *against the Indians*.

In any case, as soon as the '07 ALCS was over, I was done with that bit. I don't think I even watched the World Series at all that year.

 

[Tom Servo]

(Something like Yankees/Red Sox is different, of course, since they are in the same league, and regularly compete. But there is no Yankees/Mets conflict; since THEY ALMOST NEVER PLAY EACH OTHER. Logically a rivalry can only exist where the two teams regularly play each other.)

Then again, you (as a Yankees fan) were also cheering the Red Sox on here in 2007, so you're kinda all over the place there.

Sports bigamy is kinda a lame phenomenon. It's ok to be a casual fan, or a fan of the game in general, but when you start declaring more than one team your favorite, or sport the avatar of one team while telling people you live and die with the games of their rivals (either locality, or division), it's gonna raise some eyebrows...

Ya, while I don't want to jump on Mr. Laser Beam, this is a true post. Fans of the Mets hate the Yankees, and fans of the Yankees hate the Mets. Its the same in Chicago. Intercity rivalries DO exist, and are sometimes the best in the sport. Im sorry, but I just don't buy rooting for both teams. There are reasons that people become fans of teams, and I could never think of having a connection with more then one. I live and die with my team...fuck the opponent, whoever it is. When you are a fan of the Mets, their continued suckage does not hurt nearly as much when you can turn around and say I root for the Yankees too. I can understand not hating the Mets, but rooting for them, thats not how it works I don't think.

I mean really, to me, fuck the Yankees. I don't care if a team beats the Sox, and then plays the Yanks, Im never rooting for those Yanks. Ever. The more the Yanks lose, the better it is for baseball. I love looking at A-Rods and Jeter's and Posada's faces when the lose in the PS over and over. It's great to me. I really hope I see its that way again this year, hopefully against the Red Sox.

No offense intended Mr. Laser Beam, but I this is how me, and it seems, many others on this board, as fans of our particular teams, look at this issue.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Ya, while I don't want to jump on Mr. Laser Beam

Oh, don't stop on MY account, go right ahead...you're in excellent company.

Fans of the Mets hate the Yankees, and fans of the Yankees hate the Mets.

You are a fan of neither, so what do you care?

In any case, it seems unfair to say that all fans of a particular team must act a certain way. That'd be like if I said "all Red Sox fans chase Yankee fans down and hit them with their cars" or "all Cubs fans harass innocent people for just catching a ball like any fan would".

There are reasons that people become fans of teams

Yes, there fucking well ARE! Let me tell you MY reasons, shall I? I love the Yankees and the Mets both, for a reason which I consider to be perfectly valid: simply because they are from New York.

Now I didn't grow up there, obviously, I'm just a tourist. But I picked the city first, and then the teams. NYC is the only place I ever go on vacation, it's the city I really love, and so therefore I am a fan of whatever baseball team is from there. (Like I said earlier, if I was a football fan, I'd probably root for both the Giants and the Jets.)

To tow the party line and hate the Mets, like you insist I do, would mean I would have to root against a New York team - and I can't do that.

No offense intended Mr. Laser Beam, but I this is how me, and it seems, many others on this board, as fans of our particular teams, look at this issue.

Fine. Thanks for sharing. I'm outnumbered, I GET THAT. But I'm not ready to throw up the white flag JUST yet. You're likely to be waiting quite a long time if that's your goal...oh well, the one thing about being up against a wall, it's easy on the back.

 

[Tim]

^ And in other news, the Yankees lost to the Mariners; Rivera give up a walk-off two-run HR. Yanks pitching has definitely developed some cracks lately, while Red Sox pitching has been getting stronger.