ALDS rooting interest poll: Angels-Red Sox

[Benjamin Grimm]

Which is your preference?

[metirish]

Red Sox ...it's close though....I do like both teams against the yankees

[seawolf17]

Angels. Completely done with the Red Sox; I want to see them and the Yankees finish fourth and fifth in the AL East in 2010.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Should be a "don't care" button or for my purposes "Just want a good series."

[Ceetar]

I like the Sox. I think if they can advance they could win it all, and any Sox success hurts Yankees fans egos. On the other hand, them getting killed by the Angels again could be fun.

Also, no Yankees-Red Sox ALCS would help hype up the Mets-Phillies rivalry next year as the 'best' rivalry. Then again, I bought tickets to game 7 at Yankee Stadium of the ALCS, and I'll be able to turn a nice profit of that's a Red Sox game.

[Guest themetfairy]

I could go either way. With a gun to my head I pick the Angels because I have friends who are rooting for them.

I just hope that if the MFYs make it to the ALCS that the winner of this series knocks them off.

[Frayed Knot]

My rooting interests in this year's post-season involves two things:
1) getting some good games & exciting series
2) the usual

Other than those I really have little care about the route taken to achieve those.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Me, I just want early exits from the Yankees and the Phillies.

Beyond that, I don't care at all what happens.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

The Angels scare the pompous horseshit out of most MFY fans I know.

I'm in favor of evacuating as many Yank fan bowels as possible.

[MFS62]

I like the Angels' history of beating the Yanks.
And I'm sick of Connecticut sports anchors who don't even give the score of the Mets games.
Screw them.
I want them to feel my pain.
Go Halos!

Later

[Guest Kong76]

I took Sox, even though I'm not as big on them as in year's past.
I kinda forgot about the Angels and Yankees thing ... I'm getting
all wishy washy on this one two minutes after voting.

[ashie62]

Angels, will not watch one inning

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

I voted for the Angels, though I have no strong feelings either way.

[Fman99]

Me, I just want early exits from the Yankees and the Phillies.

Beyond that, I don't care at all what happens.[/quote:1o70o1gj]

This.

I'm rooting for whichever team has a better shot of beating the MFYs. And both of these teams have a recent history of being able to get it done.

[Guest Edgy DC]

i always think of the Angels as the most synthetic of teams. Anaheim, Disney, Reggie Jackson's pullovers. The inability to identify with a single city. Thundersticks. Yuck.

The Sox won in 1986 and they'll win 23 years later.

[metsmarathon]

sox, by a shade.

[Valadius]

Angels, simply because the Red Sox have already won one too many championships this decade. One was enough, two was overkill, three makes it ridiculous.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Wouldn't it also be overkill if the Angels won a second championship this decade?

[Guest The Second Spitter]

i always think of the Angels as the most synthetic of teams. Anaheim, Disney, Reggie Jackson's pullovers. The inability to identify with a single city. Thundersticks. Yuck.[/quote:ug4shthg]

Counter-argument: They've retired the number of two former Mets.

[Valadius]

Wouldn't it also be overkill if the Angels won a second championship this decade?[/quote:w20fxll8]

Less overkill. Seven years does not equal three, or potentially two for that matter.

[Frayed Knot]

Game 3 update:

Kazmir getting his butt kicked in Fenway so far.
5-1 after 4 including a couple of hard-hit 'Fenway singles' off the monster that would have gone for extras somewhere else.



Noon starting time on a Sunday afternoon: Love it!

[metirish]

Can't listen to Fuck Martinez.....why is it scrappy little ball players(Pedoria) is the first to the park and the last to leave....the heart and soul of the team....a walking fucking clich� is what you are Buck.

[Frayed Knot]

Y'know, not only is Papelbon a bit of a meathead not to mention a chore to watch as he takes forever to throw each pitch -- but he's not all that good either.
He just coughed up a 2-run 9th inning lead (after getting the first two outs) and that was all after allowing the two runners he inherited to score in the 8th.

Angels lead 7-6 going to bottom 9th. Plus the Sawx already removed several of their bats for defensive and/or running purposes (Papi, Lowell)

[Guest Kong76]

Well that's that ... Papelbon's gonna feel like a piece
of crud for weeks.

[Valadius]

Papelbon gets what he deserves, in my opinion, after his ridiculous dancing of two years ago.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Y'know, not only is Papelbon a bit of a meathead not to mention a chore to watch as he takes forever to throw each pitch -- but he's not all that good either.[/quote:3jgb7ptl]

A low ERA and passable second half has masked a poor season... and one that, coupled with last year, looks a little like regression. With a bunch of closer-convertible power arms I wouldn't be all that surprised if they moved him this offseason to any team that would give up equal-or-greater value for a "proven closer."

[bmfc1]

Papelbon was never the same after the Santos homerun.

[Frayed Knot]

Maybe it's just one of those 'whenever I'm looking he suxx' situations. Or that his ridiculous pace annoys me to the point where I'm cutting him no slack at all.
Combine those two with the label slapped on him (Francesa being one of the ringleaders) that he's a "proven big game pitcher"* - as if that title once acquired becomes a universal truth - and I just don't find him to be 'all that'.

Looking at stats: His walks ballooned this year but, other than that, his hits allowed, runs allowed, etc are all pretty good and the WHiP (even with the higher walks) is still OK. I get the feeling that he's allowed more than his share of inherited runners to score which would make his value less attractive than the stats show but maybe that's an only when I'm looking deal too.



* hereafter known as a PBGP

[metirish]

When Wagner was traded to Boston I remember reading in Boston.com about the possibility of Papelbon not being with them after this season , apparently there has been plenty of talk about moving him.

[ashie62]

Papelbon was never the same after the Santos homerun.[/quote:a9uva8u3]

"Son, is that some sort of a sick joke?" lol