I hate second place more than any man.

Pedro is dominant again and Boston beats Los Angeles 4-1 …

Bill:
Pedro seems back to his old self, Nomar is back like we've always remembered him, Nixon returns this week, interleague play goes well, hell, even D-Lowe has been impressive in this last two starts …

 

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Mike:
But you're wondering why you don't feel better than you do?

 

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Bill:
Absofuckinglutely. I don't know what it is … maybe it's knowing this team has yet to put together an extended win streak?

 

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Mike:
While the motherfucking Yankees have been on one hella extended winning streak since losing that April series to the Sox.

 

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Bill:
Exactly. We take two steps forward and two steps back …

 

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Mike:
And you know it ain't fiction just a natural fa-ct? [Laughs]

 

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Bill:
I can't sleep. Twitching in the sheets — to face the summer in second again …

 

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Mike:
That's clearly trouble.

 

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Bill:
I'm under this sheet thinking my nerves are hampered by history — the most memorable concern of our kind is the guts it takes to face the summer again.

 

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Mike:
Dizzied by the almosts the ankles and the years …

 

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Bill:
I pull the sheets to my neck. I turn my ass to the wall. I hate second place more than any man.

 

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Author's Notes
Much of Bill's speech is inspired and/or cribbed from Bukowski's poem "Nerves."