If you don't score you don't win!
Red Sox vrs Cubs
GO SOX!!!  There are Sox fans out there, yes?

and 'hobbyists' to 'the Players' because then we could have so much more fun!

With all due respect to the otherwise heroic effort by the Florida Marlins, who in many ways have been greater underdogs than the Cubs, and who I have a soft spot for because, being from San Diego, I have always loved Trader Jack McKeon, I want to cry tonight.

The Cubs may have blown it themselves tonight in game seven (had a lead they couldn't protect with their ace on the mound), got shut out in game five (the poor visibility didn't seem to stop the Marlins from scoring four runs, and it wasn't Kevin Brown on the mound for Florida this year), and may have blown game six even if Alou had caught the ball (their bullpen has always been a weak point of their lineup this year).  However, having said that, I think that every non-Marlins fan in this country was rooting for the Cubs this year, and seeing their collapse after "The Play" in game six (it will live in infamy for decades, I guarantee it) was truly heartbreaking.  I am not normally a Cubs fan, but I was rooting for them...and for Dusty Baker, especially after last years WS game six. This poor man must want to retire at this point.

As for the Cubs "fan", while I do not think that he should be threatened (as he has very seriously been)...I mean, this is still a game, people... the statement his brother read is BS.  No matter how much of a Cubs fan this guy is (travelling to AZ to see them in Spring League), any REAL fan who sits near the field...especially when it is playoff time...especially after what happened in Baltimore in '96...ESPECIALLY if you are a Cubs fan...would AUTOMATICALLY be thinking a player would be going for the ball.  I mean, give me a freaking break!  Moises Alou told the truth when he said that 40,000 people would probably have done the same thing, but that makes it no less wrong or greedy to think first of a "souveneir" when a season is on the line and you should automatically be thinking of a player making an out.

All I can say is that if there is a God, Pedro Martinez will throw a no-hitter tomorrow, and the best team that money can buy (but most of the country hates) will not join the scrappy Marlins (who will most likely lose in five) in the WS.

If there are any providers in Chicago reading this, you ladies ought to be giving some sympathy specials for a week or two there...the guys will need them.

Sorry to see that my alias is an appropriate term for the lovable losers from the Windy City, but they are winners in my book.

I completely agree with your post. I'm not really a Cubs fan, but after this series I can now understand the suffering the real fans have gone through. One win away from the World Series, two games AT HOME to get it, their two aces are ready to go, and they blow it. Unbelievable.

I agree the Cubs probably would have lost game six even if Alou had caught that foul ball. Prior was well over a hundred pitches and I thought it was time to take him out. And Gonzales' throwing error could not have come at a worse time. But as soon as the fan got in the way I thought "Here we go. The Cubs are going to lose this game, and then the series."

I thought the Marlins were the hottest team in the NL at the end of the season. They deserved to beat the Giants and they made the most of their opportunities to beat the Cubs. I want to see the Red Sox win tomorrow, but honestly I feel the Yankees are simply the better team. Maybe someone will finally have the guts to go after Clemens (it's a given that he's going to throw at someone) and he'll get tossed out on his ass.

card

Yesterday at noon who would have thought that the Cubs would be eliminated and the Sox still in the hunt for a world series title?  

I'll admit it, part of me didn't want the Cubs to advance if my Sox didn't.  For as much crap that we have to put up with, at least we can point at the Cubs as the true example of post season futility.  That was my mentality...

Then tonight while watching them lose to the Marlins I realized that I was wrong.  The Cubs should have won.  They should be playing in the WS and it is a damn shame that they aren't.  The fans of Chicago, even the moron that screwed up Alou deserve to have that indulgence.  At least they've had championships with the Bulls and Bears.

Love the underdog, root for the Sox.

Do you honestly think a pro like Rocket would jeopardize such an important game with a stunt like that?  Maybe he will pitch inside (part of the game for all good pitchers) and someone will get hit, but I don't think he'll risk being tossed in a game like this.

And what about that head hunting jerk from Boston?  Pedro never takes a shot at anyone, huh?  Ask Soriano and Jeter about that.

As a Chicagoan born and raised, now living in Fla; I am laughing my ass off. This collapse was such typical Cub fate. Everyone is blaming that kid for blowing the series... well, the Cubbies had THREE chances to nail it down, and couldn't do it. That is not the kid's fault. They were outscored 20-9 in the final three games, their bats were silenced after their explosive first couple games when they scored 20 some runs. Steroid Sammy with his little hop was shut down and didn't do much after the first game. The Marlins WANTED it, they believed they could win it,never gave up and simply outplayed the Cubs. Many a team would have folded up after game four (read: Braves, A's) but not the scrappy "Fish". Pudge Rodriquez hits over .500, Beckett steps up and shuts down the mighty Sosa...Pierre, Castillo, Cabrerra, Pudge and Conine execute, Derrick Lee and Gonzalez turn in stellar defense...Uggie Urbina shuts em down at the end.

None of this is because of some fan touching a ball. Look at the photo and there's a half dozen other people reaching for it. How many of us have had a foul ball come our way...do we look at what the outfielder/infielder is doing?? Hell no, you're looking up like everyone else. Was the guy supposed to stand there and maybe let the ball clunk him on the skull?? I didn't see anyone pulling him away to let Alou catch it.

The Cubs royally blew it... and the sorry ass cub fans will blame this guy for it instead of who is really responsible: the Cubs; nor credit the Marlins who EARNED it.

I'm no Yankee fan but Pedro is a little prick. With his little teddy bear face acting all innocent. Too bad "Popeye" Zimmer didn't connect with that 72 yr old left hook.

The coed version is really fun.

-- Modified on 10/16/2003 9:26:04 AM

Oh- and the Celts and Pats are chicken liver?

Uh? Sedona-

I thought we took up Hobby to REPLACE  "the Game" and "Players"?

That's what its called overseas, anyway.  Ladies are "on the game" and the hobbyists are "playaz"(ok cut me some slack with my spelling- az is just cooler)!

I have never liked and never used the terms hobby/provider. I have always thought that instead of hobbiest, the better complement to the term provider is patient. If for nothing else than a lack of imagination I predominately use the terms client, customer and escort, lady, paid companion.

I do like the term you selected intead of client, which, as my handle suggests, I was years ahead of you. Perhaps there should also be a secondary classification for the minority of gentlemen (although a significant minority from appearances) that take this a little bit beyond the hobby/game and seem to desperately seek romance in the wrong place.

All depends on what you mean by The Game, and how you perceive Players.

I think it fits perfectly. The Game is The Hobby. The Game is whatever you want it to be since we are play-acting. We are acting as two long lost lovers, a one night stand, a Girlfriend Experience, the sex-for-hire, the hired date, whatever YOU see as the Game. Maybe it's a Mistress for Hire, or the Man of Many Lovers..The Traveling Man with a Woman in Every Port who awaits him..
Games have Players. In this Game you can have two or more Players! Perfect for ages 30 and up..(LOL)

I like all the baseball terms that fit our 'Hobby', our 'game'. Strikeout, homerun, slid home, first base..etc.

And like baseball, sex is America's favorite pasttime..

I have to agree with a lot of what you've said.  I'm not a particular fan of either the Cubs or Red Sox...or the Marlins either for that matter...but think a WS between Boston & Chicago would've been great for baseball.

Undoubtedly the one fan who interfered with Alou's attempt to catch the foul ball simply got carried away with the moment.  How much that affected the outcome of the game is debatable.  If that out had been made the game situation & thus the subsequent pitch selection may have been different.  Regardless, the fan shouldn't be subjected to threats & the other abuse he's likely to receive.  But where were the umpires on that play?  It was clearly fan interference, & with two umpires on the foul line at least one of them should have been in position to make the correct call.  

Major League baseball needs to do something to address this, at least in the post-season games.  The same thing happened on Todd Walker's HR in Yankee stadium, but at least the umpire crew got that one right..even though they had to overrule the initial call.    

Today's game has the potential for a classic match-up.  It should certainly make for good theatre whether or not what happens on the field lives up to that. As much as I'd like to see Boston in the WS, I suspect they'll have to find a little magic to get there.  Martinez hasn't had his typical velocity or control during the post-season, so the Sox will have to find a way to produced some runs again if they are to win.

But the Marlins are likely going to be a tough team to handle in the WS regardless of who they face...they've got the most balance on offense & certainly better defense than either the Yankees or the Red Sox.  And McKeon should be manager of the year IMO..takes over a losing team in May & from the end of May leads them to the best record in baseball, all without addding the number late season additional players that the other teams did.  They may not end up winning it all, but I'd sure feel uncomfortable betting against them.      

Baseball very strange game.  How can man walk with 4 balls??

-- Modified on 10/16/2003 12:00:00 PM

I like to take my girlfriend to the baseball game.

I kiss her between the strikes and she kisses me between the balls!!!

Harry,
Coed version of sex or baseball? You can also play it hardball or softball, touche!Tonight it is baseball, tomorrow celebration.
Bagel of Boston

Many years ago, I made a career(shudder!) in the Auto Rental business.

One day I had the honor of serving a former manager of the Angels(I forget who, or I would tell you) who after having been blown out of the playoffs was on his way to a much needed vacation(this was a decade and a half before they won the world series). Anyway, I told him I was sorry that they had lost, and that I felt that after all that time they deserved to win. He replied, no one has anything coming, much less a win.

Well, Clemens is gone. I do give credit to him and Joe Torre, though. At least they could see that he was no longer helping the team. I wish the same could have been said about Martinez. He should have left after the seventh inning. Instead, I'll wager his pride got in the way and he wanted to go the distance and beat the Yanks all by himself. The decision to leave him in cost the Red Sox the lead, and maybe the game.

-- Modified on 10/18/2003 8:39:42 AM

It WASN'T interference; it WAS the correct call, the ump was right there on the spot. The fan did not reach over into the field of play; the ball was going to land in the stands, and Alou was reaching over the wall. The umps call was sustained by the lack of argument over the play. Alou was upset with the FAN, not the ump...Dusty Baker didn't argue it...if anything Alou interfered with the fan!

A sad postscript to that series was the fate of Angels reliever Donnie Moore (an ex Cub at that) who gave up if Irecall a game winning gopher ball to I think don Baylor....he became so depressed and despondent over being tagged the goat of the series and blowing it for the Angels, that a few years later,unable to live with it anymore,he killed himself. Sad. Baseball is a huge business, and a World Series means a lot, but in the end  it is only a game. Let us hope that Steve Bartman does not suffer a fate like Moore.

You & I obviously saw it differently, but it's over & no point in the two of us dabating it as the Marlins likely would have won anyway game one of the WS has already been played.

Peace.