Standings 2006

[MFS62]

Boston HAVEN"T won....?

Someone's been spending too much time in the soccer threads?

Later

[Willets Point]

Do you have contrary evidence that the Red Sox have won the AL East championship anytime in the last decade? It seems to me its been Yankees every year but 1997 when it was the Orioles. Perhaps you've forgotten about the wild card. I want the Red Sox to win the division. I want the Yankees to go home.

[Elster88]

Willets Point wrote: ="Elster88"]I wish Toronto would win the AL East for a change of pace. I'm sick of Boston, too. Boston haven't won the AL East since 1995. I think its their turn.

What I meant was I'm sick of seeing them in the playoffs. Obviously, no?

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

It really doesn't matter much to me who's in the AL playoffs as long as the Yankees are excluded.

A 1986 World Series rematch would be kind of fun. But while I'm pretty darn certain that the Mets will be in the postseason this year, I'm not ready to put them into the World Series quite yet.

[MFS62]

Willets Point wrote: Do you have contrary evidence that the Red Sox have won the AL East championship anytime in the last decade? It seems to me its been Yankees every year but 1997 when it was the Orioles. Perhaps you've forgotten about the wild card. I want the Red Sox to win the division. I want the Yankees to go home.

Wasn't commenting on your baseball knowledge.
I just found it funny that you used the plural "haven't" with the singular "Boston" like they do when describing soccer sides.
That's all.

Later

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Willets Point wrote: Do you have contrary evidence that the Red Sox have won the AL East championship anytime in the last decade? It seems to me its been Yankees every year but 1997 when it was the Orioles. Perhaps you've forgotten about the wild card. I want the Red Sox to win the division. I want the Yankees to go home.

I recently learned that whoever wins championships is a matter of opinion.

[stevejrogers]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: When the Braves play the Yankees this year, I'm a tomahawk-chopping fool. Chipper, Andruw, Smoltzie, they're all my boys. The Braves are the last-place team in the NL East. Them winning or losing won't have any effect on how soon the Mets clinch the division.

True, but usually teams get eliminated one at a time. Braves are NEXT!

[MFS62]

Some of Randy Johnson's career numbers against Atlanta:

10.40 K/gm, 1.15 WHIP, 5.03 ERA (68.0 IP)

You'd think that with a WHIP like that, his ERA would be much lower. Sounds like he has either had a case of gopheritis against them or a few really bad outings.

Later

[stevejrogers]

SteveJRogers wrote: ="Yancy Street Gang"]When the Braves play the Yankees this year, I'm a tomahawk-chopping fool. Chipper, Andruw, Smoltzie, they're all my boys. The Braves are the last-place team in the NL East. Them winning or losing won't have any effect on how soon the Mets clinch the division. True, but usually teams get eliminated one at a time. Braves are NEXT!

The number to eliminate the Braves is 72. I want it to be in the 60s by the weekend allright

[stevejrogers]

Put it this way. The Yankees are rendered meaningless. It doesn't matter if we get swept this coming weekend. We lose the season series 2-4, eh no big deal. Leave season series bragging rights for when we are in the midst of a shit storm of a year where we are struggling to reach .500. In fact, the series means more for the MFY than it does to us. Period.

So, Yankees play the Braves, its Go MFY. It matters how many losses the other NL East competitors have, we don't need to worry about Yankee losses

[Gwreck]

="SteveJRogers"]Put it this way. The Yankees are rendered meaningless. It doesn't matter if we get swept this coming weekend. We lose the season series 2-4, eh no big deal. Leave season series bragging rights for when we are in the midst of a shit storm of a year where we are struggling to reach .500. In fact, the series means more for the MFY than it does to us. Period.

I've got no serious objection to Steve's point that we root for the Braves to lose when they play the MFYs. No problem.

This, however, gives me serious pause. The games against the Yankees are meaningless? It doesn't matter if we get swept?

I realize it matters more to those of us living in New York than those elsewhere --- but beating the MFYs always matters. Once we have an advantage in the overall series, maybe. Bragging rights do matter.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Rooting for the Yankees to beat the Braves shows a serious lack of perspective.

Who cares when the last-place team gets eliminated? The Yankees are 2 games out of first place. The wild card may end up out of their reach. A perfect regular season would end with the Mets in the NLDS and the Yankees at home. THAT'S what I'm rooting for. And that scenario doesn't involve rooting for the Yankees to win.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

I'm with YSG on this. I like to see the MFYs humiliated and as long as we TCB, I'm comfortable maintaining the current spread. If a Braves sweep undermines the Mets race to the division title, you can whack me with a broom 3 times.

[metirish]

No way no how can I ever root for the yankees, I just can't...I remember the 2001 WS when the whole world apparently was rooting for the MFY' because of 9/11, I got such a hard time in the office because I wouldn't root for them....it was like.." how could you not shout for them"?....I csan still see Gonzo's reaction when he got that hit...

[Elster88]

I normally am strongly on the side of root against the NL East at all costs. But at this point it's a little silly. We're 15.5 up on the Braves.

[TransMonk]

Interleague play is stupid, I always lose interest during this week of the year. It makes me sick that the Mets play the Yankees as many times per year as they play the Cardinals and Dodgers. I could not care less how the Mets fare against the Yankees because they really are the most meaningless games.

I understand the cash cow it creates for the NY teams and MLB, but it still doesn't change the fact that baseball fans across the country don't care what happens in Boston and New York.

[Elster88]

The Yankee games are the most fun to attend in person for the entire season, excluding any pennant races.

By far.

-----------------

15 interleague games total.

I'm sorry you miss that extra round of games that we could get against the Cards, Brewers, Reds, Cubs and Pirates. Nah, I'm not sorry.

[Willets Point]

Boston in this sense is a collective noun - a team of 25 men or a city of 600,000. It's not a single thing, hence the plural verb.

[Elster88]

I've never seen that usage outside of the World Cup. I don't think it's commonly used.

A) Boston has won only one championship in 86 years.

Boston have won only one championship in 86 years.

I think 99% of people would choose B.

[stevejrogers]

="Gwreck"] ="SteveJRogers"]Put it this way. The Yankees are rendered meaningless. It doesn't matter if we get swept this coming weekend. We lose the season series 2-4, eh no big deal. Leave season series bragging rights for when we are in the midst of a shit storm of a year where we are struggling to reach .500. In fact, the series means more for the MFY than it does to us. Period. I've got no serious objection to Steve's point that we root for the Braves to lose when they play the MFYs. No problem. This, however, gives me serious pause. The games against the Yankees are meaningless? It doesn't matter if we get swept? I realize it matters more to those of us living in New York than those elsewhere --- but beating the MFYs always matters. Once we have an advantage in the overall series, maybe. Bragging rights do matter.

Just another three games right now. The reason I'm really using that tact is that this series really does means more to the Yankees then it does for the Mets, I know I'll be happy with a Met win of the series, but I'm really talking about no pressure being on the Mets this series.

In other words, if we get swept I'm just going to go "Oh well, hope it doesn't lead to a stupid pre-ASG Break tail spin" as we head into the Pittsburgh-Florida homestand

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

That's true in British English, but not American English.

They say, "London are" but we say, "Washington is."

[Elster88]

I brought this up like 10 times in the World Cup thread and no one said a word.

Is this mic on?

[MFS62]

Willets Point wrote: Boston in this sense is a collective noun - a team of 25 men or a city of 600,000. It's not a single thing, hence the plural verb.

I understood your usage. It just struck me how different that is compared to the way we usually see that written in the papers. We usually see Red Sox (for some reason considered a plural, although the name of a single team) associated with a plural verb.

To follow up on Elster's examples, I've almost exclusively seen:
The Red Sox have only won one championship
or
Boston has only won one championship.

Your usage jumped off the page as being different. Doesn't mean I said it was wrong.

Later

[stevejrogers]

="Johnny Dickshot"]I'm with YSG on this. I like to see the MFYs humiliated and as long as we TCB, I'm comfortable maintaining the current spread. If a Braves sweep undermines the Mets race to the division title, you can whack me with a broom 3 times.

Okay, as I said before, don't cry if Larry is saying that the season was turned around thanks to the Yankee sweep starting the
Greatest. Comeback. Ever. when the Braves are celebrating Division Championship # 15

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Ugh. You should learn how to enjoy being in first place. Savor it. Don't waste time worrying about the last place team.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

Elster88 wrote: I brought this up like 10 times in the World Cup thread and no one said a word. Is this mic on?

I, for one, haven't been reading the World Cup thread.

[stevejrogers]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: Ugh. You should learn how to enjoy being in first place. Savor it. Don't waste time worrying about the last place team.

Actually its more about seeing the reign officially come to an end, then start picking off the rest of the division untill the second place team (and it better not be a surging Braves team) is finally eliminated

[seawolf17]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: ="Elster88"]I brought this up like 10 times in the World Cup thread and no one said a word. Is this mic on? I, for one, haven't been reading the World Cup thread.

What's the World Cup?

[Guest ABG]

I get a lot more happiness from seeing our division lead over each team grow then from seeing the Yankees lose. I don't care if we're up 25 with three games left and the Phillies are playing the Yankees with a chance to keep them out of the playoffs--I'll still root for the Yankees.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

="SteveJRogers"] ="Johnny Dickshot"]I'm with YSG on this. I like to see the MFYs humiliated and as long as we TCB, I'm comfortable maintaining the current spread. If a Braves sweep undermines the Mets race to the division title, you can whack me with a broom 3 times. Okay, as I said before, don't cry if Larry is saying that the season was turned around thanks to the Yankee sweep starting the Greatest. Comeback. Ever. when the Braves are celebrating Division Championship # 15

Jeez, I already said you beat me with a broom. I can take it.