2 Out of 3 Ain't Bad

[Chisox73]

This was a well pitched series for both teams as the Sox took 2 of 3 at Yankee Stadium.

Uribe's 1 out triple off Yankees closer Mariano Rivera was huge as it got the Yankee defense guessing.And how about that Aaron Rowand? That guy was just unconscious in center field the entire series.If there was an instance of demoralizing an opponent with the glove,Rowand did just that.

It's now on to Boston for 3 games against the defending World Champions.

Friday's matchup will be Buehrle against David Wells.

[Spitball67]

And how about that Aaron Rowand? That guy was just unconscious in center field the entire series.If there was an instance of demoralizing an opponent with the glove,Rowand did just that.

Rowand is one of the most under-rated center fielders in the big leagues. The guy always gets the job done. It was good to see him make those plays against the Yankees in Yankee stadium. Maybe now he'll get some props.

Always great to take 2 of three from the Yanks. Now we need to do the same against Boston and really stick it to everyone (read:national media) that has been downplaying the White Sox success. Buehrle will get the job done tonight.

[Spitball67]

Buehrle will get the job done tonight.

oops, I mean tomorrrow night.

[Chisox73]

Always great to take 2 of three from the Yanks. Now we need to do the same against Boston and really stick it to everyone (read:national media) that has been downplaying the White Sox success. Buehrle will get the job done tonight.
How are we going to get any national recognition when we can't get any in our own city????

Anyway,I could care less whether or not the Sox get any attention.Just as long as they keep doing what they are doing,that's really all that matters.

I think this will be a very good series this weekend. :thumbsup:

[Cyberlibrarian]

On Mike & Mike, they've talked about how the White Sox aren't getting national recognition for how well they've done this year. Steve Phillips agrees -- this series should NOT have been seen as a "test" for the White Sox so they could prove to one and all that they're for real; it was instead a "test" for the Yankees. And they failed.

:D

[Chisox73]

I heard Ozzie joke about this the other day,saying that the White Sox are 4-5 this season against "real ML teams"(Red Sox and Yanks).I thought that was funny.

[Cyberlibrarian]

4-5 isn't exactly ideal, is it?

How have the Sox done against the A's? That's who they'd be playing "if the season ended today."

And, speaking of "the season ending today," there are talk show hosts in NY who ask Yankee fans how they'd set their rotation if the season ended today. Failing, of course, to take into account that, if the season ended today, THE YANKEES WOULDN'T BE IN THE PLAYOFFS! :lmao:

[Spitball67]

How are we going to get any national recognition when we can't get any in our own city????

Hah, yeah you're right about that. The Sox could be playing in the World Series and the headline in the sports section would be "CUBS NOT IN WORLD SERIES".

Is it the same situation this in NY I wonder? Do the Yankees always hog the headlines even in years where the Mets are playing better? What about this year where both teams have about an equal shot at making/not making the post season?

[Cyberlibrarian]

Hah, yeah you're right about that. The Sox could be playing in the World Series and the headline in the sports section would be "CUBS NOT IN WORLD SERIES".

Is it the same situation this in NY I wonder? Do the Yankees always hog the headlines even in years where the Mets are playing better? What about this year where both teams have about an equal shot at making/not making the post season?


NY is an odd case. NYers tend to be bandwagon-jumpers. There are, according to some estimates, 1.5 million fans who sway with the breeze. In 1964, the Mets' THIRD YEAR OF EXISTENCE, they outdrew the Yankees (1,732,597 to 1,305,638) and the Yankees were coming off a World Series appearance. OK, maybe we can chalk that up to the fact that it was Shea Stadium's inagural season. But again, maybe that doesn't matter. The Mets drew more than 2 million in 1969. The Yankees hadn't drawn 2 million since the late 1940s -- slightly more than 20 years earlier.

The Mets continued to outdraw the Yankees until 1976, which was the first year that the Yankees had been in the post-season since 1964.

This is when things get strange. In 1976, you had a whole generation of young fans who didn't remember the Dodgers and the Giants. A group of fans who, for whatever reason, stopped holding on to the geographical loyalties that had prevailed when there were 3 teams in town, and went with whoever was winning. The Mets did not outdraw the Yankees again until 1984 which, if you know NY baseball history, is when the tide turned. The Mets had their best record in a long time, and the Yankees were beginning their decade-long downturn.

The Mets drew more than 3 million in 1987 and 1988. The Yankees didn't draw 3 million until 1999. Even the Blue Jays and Twins drew 3 million before the Yankees did. Not that most Yankee fans will admit to this (I'm sure most of them don't even know it).

The Mets were in the playoffs in 1999 and 2000. In both years, the Yankees outdrew the Mets by a considerable amount.

I know this is long-winded, but it's my feeble attempt to explain NY baseball. NYers will talk about baseball on Super Bowl Sunday. Unfortunately, however, there are a lot of fair-weather fans. I can't tell you how many times people call the local sports talk stations and claim to be lifelong Yankee fans but who will, when pressed, admit to having rooted for the Mets in the 1980s.

[Spitball67]

Thanks for posting all of that Julie. It was very interesting. I wish I had some solid knowledge on the Cubs and White Sox and how they have drawn over the years. I do know that now there are many many more Cubs fans in Chicago than White Sox fans. As the years go by, the gap seems to increase for whatever reason. I know in the 70's, the White Sox were very popular and may have even outdrew the Cubs and rivaled their popularity. I wish I had some solid facts though.

I also think that people weren't as hardcore about being a Cubs fan or a White Sox fan back then as they are now. There are many people that are rabid Sox or Cubs fans and absolutely hate the other team. On a par of the dislike between Yankees and Red Sox fans. I know that I would NEVER wear any Cubs paraphernalia to a Sox game out of fear of being humilated from the time I got there until the time I left. I've witnessed that first hand.

[Timberwolf]

How have the Sox done against the A's? That's who they'd be playing "if the season ended today."

Let's just say not good hence why I am rooting for the A's to make the playoffs.

[Chisox73]

4-5 isn't exactly ideal, is it?

How have the Sox done against the A's? That's who they'd be playing "if the season ended today."

And, speaking of "the season ending today," there are talk show hosts in NY who ask Yankee fans how they'd set their rotation if the season ended today. Failing, of course, to take into account that, if the season ended today, THE YANKEES WOULDN'T BE IN THE PLAYOFFS! :lmao:

She asked me Timber.

To put it mildly,we haven't done very well against the A's the last 5 years,especially in Oakland,where they have lost 20 of the last 24.

[Timberwolf]

Is it the same situation this in NY I wonder? Do the Yankees always hog the headlines even in years where the Mets are playing better? What about this year where both teams have about an equal shot at making/not making the post season?

Since I live in Mets and Yankees country (poor me!), I can say that the Mets get their fair share of the back pages in the NY papers and on sports radio. Yeah the Yankees get lot of hype and all, but the Mets do get some props here too when they were winning during the Bobby Valentine era.

[Cyberlibrarian]

Thanks for posting all of that Julie. It was very interesting. I wish I had some solid knowledge on the Cubs and White Sox and how they have drawn over the years. I do know that now there are many many more Cubs fans in Chicago than White Sox fans. As the years go by, the gap seems to increase for whatever reason. I know in the 70's, the White Sox were very popular and may have even outdrew the Cubs and rivaled their popularity. I wish I had some solid facts though.


Check out baseball-reference.com. If you click on a specific team there is a link to information about that team's ballpark and attendance.

Here (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHW/attend.shtml) is the page on White Sox attendance.

Here (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHC/attend.shtml) is the page for Cubs attendance.

All statistics on these pages are through last year.

It's a GREAT site -- it's well worth checking out.

[Chisox73]

Thanks for the links Julie. :thumbsup:

[Cyberlibrarian]

You're welcome Eric. Baseball-reference is an outstanding site that every baseball fan should bookmark.

You can sponsor pages for as little as $5. I'd wanted to sponsor this page (http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/prallwi01.shtml), but somebody beat me to it. :(

Why did I want to sponsor it? The guy is a very distant cousin of mine (and I do mean DISTANT).