How dearly Bill would love to kick with the fray

But time is against him now …

Bill (thinking to himself):
I think, no, I know something's wrong with me …

 

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Bill (thinking to himself):
I mean I could never say this publicly, but here we are on the brink of "The" Series, the one back in March I couldn't wait for, yet here I sit in a total malaise.

 

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Bill (thinking to himself):
Fuck at this point the Sox could sweep the Yankees and I'd still feel little confidence in their ability to even make the postseason, let alone thrive it it.

 

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Bill (thinking to himself):
I hate myself for feeling this way. Did I learn nothing from the 2004 season about not giving up?

 

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Bill (thinking to himself):
I feel like such a fucking fraud.

 

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Bill (thinking to himself):
I'm the Taylor Hicks of Red Sox fans for fucksake.

 

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Author's Notes
Today's title is a reference to the song "Accept Yourself" by The Smiths.

Comments

[yazbread]

God bless HB for continuing to produce Soxaholix while on the road. It is like a morning cup of coffee and I just could not go cold turkey this late in the season. I feel like Callaghan in every way as this series arrives. A Benedict Arnold among the true believers - forever to burn in hell for my lack of faith.

[IkeG]

Aw, Bill, buck up there, little camper. The memories of the Royals sweep still linger. Plus our pitching leaves little to get excited about.

It will be an unproductive afternoon with the day game today. Go Sox!

[Rob in CT]

Hmm. I feel for Bill, but yesterday's Y's-O's game lifted my spirits. Nice pop-up during yesterday's blowout loss. Did you see the look on Jeter's face when A-Rod didn't waive-off and then let it bounce out of his mitt and over Jeter's head? OMG, that was PRICELESS! I got home from work a few minutes before 9:00 last night, and as I was eating my leftover pizza in the kitchen I flipped through to an encore of the game on YES just in time to see the start of that at-bat. After watching the play, listening to the broadcasters try, incredulously, to describe it during the 6-7 replays, I started laughing so hard I had root beer spraying in the sink. My son came by, saw what I was laughing at, and just slowly shook his head as he walked away. The highest priced left side of the infield in the MLB was so upset, the RF'er had to come in and throw the ball back to the pitcher. Best part? The error originally went to Slappy, then was reversed upon review and given to Jeter for "interfering". Let's hope for lots more "communication" just like that for the next four days. My only regret was that it was already an eight-two blow out by that point (um, yes that would in be the 6th inning). Too bad the game wasn't tighter at that point. The Skankee fans calling in to Mike and the Mad Dog on the FAN yesterday would have been dialing from the railing of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Mike F: "Yeah, we got Vinny from Brooklyn on a cell phone. What's you got Vinny?"
Vinny: "@!#$^#$ A-Rod!!!! AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...............
Mike F: "Okay, Tony on a car phone, you're next."
Tony: " First Time, long time. "@!#$^#$ A-Rod!!!! AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...............

Let's Go Red Sox! Clap, clap, clapclapclap!

[DenverSoxFan]

I feel the same way, Bill. The AL is just too good this year.

That said: Go Sox. Let's do this shit.

[Farmboy]

I, for one, am stoked. Enjoy it while it lasts, Skankees. After Monday you will be number 2.

[Follower of Tito]

I repeat my advice/offer h.b., Bill needs some time in the western part of the Commonwealth to gain some calm/perspective. However, I've seen this before in coworkers, soon the days start getting shorter and the nights get cooler their Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) starts to rear it's ugly head. Let's get Bill some Paxil, a UV lamp, a Monster Dog, and a Sam Adams...game on.

I'm of the glass-half-full camp this season...this team is currently held together with chewing gum, bailing wire, duct tape and a funky mix of Gen-Y and Genitol pitching staff...2 out in the lost column with 5 head-to-head with the MFY; I'll take it

[Follower of Tito]

Ooops...Geritol...forgot mine this morning! Go Sox!

[IkeG]

I think I got an email soliciation today for Genitol. Said it could increase my size threefold.

Anybody notice today's pitching matchup is Wang vs Johnson? They should go half-price on the Fenway franks today to commemorate.

[Rob in CT]

Wang vs Johnson...

LOL! That comment alone will get me to 1:00pm.

[jamesfrmmaine]

I was a doubter in 04, I had given up after game three... but we came back, I have to believe we will this time too. Won't be missing any games of this 5 day beauty... great weather, great baseball and my Bosox vs the MFY. My only regret is that Im not gonna be at Fenway.

Monday when were all glowing from the 4-5 weekend you guys will all be laughing... It will be monday morning again but we will all be happy. Except Jason0 ;)

[h.b.]

Wang vs Johnson is awesome. Wish I would have noticed that!

[Jason O.]

Apparently Joe wants a split today, because the alcoholic Aruban who most likely has info on the whereabouts of Natalie Holloway is getting the start in game 2 tonight...

As the Red Sox are raking him tonight I'm gonna have the Hindenburg announcer cued up...everytime there's a crushed line drive into the gap: "Oh the humanity!!!"

Or, Guidry gives him a cocktail of family recipe Louisiana Lightning 'shine, LSD, mushrooms and meth and he pitches the game of his life...

Seriously, partisanship aside, this is fucking sweet for baseball fans in general...

[Billy Mahty]

I'm friggin excited for this series. If anyone wants to meet up at Beer Works before tonight's game, I'll be the guy in the #22 Yankees jersey holding a broom. :P

[vermonter]

Perhaps Bill could use a couple of days in Vermont to uplift his spirit. Pissing in sinks and wandering around in your socks (sox) mumbling incoherently can be very refreshing.

The fun starts today...this is what it's all about!

[Kaz]

I know it's not hard to do, but I could be writing copy for mlb.com it seems...

Five for fighting: Big weekend for AL East foes (see yesterday's comments where I made Natalie start singing "Superman").

Cuz it's 1, 2, 3 strikes; you're out. At the old ball game.

Play ball!

[Rob in CT]

I may read this back later today and regret it, but Hinske's looking pretty good at the plate through 4 innings - single / double and a run scored. Loretta has two doubles in the game. Wish to God we'd stop stranding so many runners, though. Johnson isn't sucking (so far), and his fastball is touching 93.

[Billy Mahty]

I have a feeling that Marty is picking up the phone right now.

[Kaz]

Probably not. I think almost all of RSN knew that Johnson's Wang couldn't measure up to Wang's Johnson.

This was the one we all expected to lose. Thank goodness we also used up Seanez for a game or two doing it.

[meredith]

Well, hopefully we got all *that* out of our system. :P

The only thing I can say about this afternoon's game is this: Welcome to the Sawx, Eric Hinske. We're as happy to have you as you are to be here.

[soxdownunder]

Woke up. Checked the scores to make sure that this buffoon Johnson kept his perfect record intact - he did (although his ERA may have dropped a milipoint or something). Put my game 7 04 witching hour red seat t-shirt on. Dressed 3 year old boy in 'why not pigs? 04' t-shirt. Briefly celebrated Collingwood's overnight victory. Waited and thought 'just the worst time of year for a journey, and such a long journey'. Come on Red Sox. Have strength everyone.

[Devine]

Kaz, probably the best use of the Johnson/Wang thing I've seen all day.

Yep, about to expectations, that game. Youk is actually gonna lead off tonight (!), so let's get a measure of vengeance.

[Billy Mahty]

I don't know if you all look down on the paper of record, but they ran a great story today with a graph that shows Connecticut's dividing line between Red Sox and Yankees fans: "Where do Rivals Draw the Line?"

[vermonter]

I know...I know...hurts right now.

However, the Fat Lady hasn't even booked the gig yet: 41 games left (41!), 7 against the Evils.

We will be back.

[Ghengis Ortiz]

Yes, defining moment of being a Red Sox fan. I apologize that I have to vent and am as pissed off as everyone else right now. The glow of 2004 is wearing off and HB's panels say it all - this feels hopeless.

Coco Crisp ('building for the future') versus Johnny Damon? Fucking pathetic. Did we learn nothing from exiling Clemens, then not bring him back? It's fucking karma, folks, and this team doesn't have it. Pitching staff that 'can't be traded'? Sure, what was the line, four innings game 1, three innings game two? Rip off. A half bottle of whisky later, and I still want to kick the cat.

[floor lamp]

floor lamp