That game stung a bit

Yankees fan Marty in his penthouse lair:
3 games up and 4 in the loss column … Time for a phone call … Heh, heh.

 

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Marty dials up Bill …

Marty:
Jeez, Callaghan, I was looking forward to a pennant race, your Sawx can't even get that right.

 

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Bill:
Why don't we wait until we play the weekend series first before you staht running your mouth, hey, Marts?

 

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Marty:
Series? By the time Friday rolls around those games will be meaningless. It's over. Snakes on the Plane, Billy Boy, 'cept you don't have Sam Jackson to save your sorry asses.

 

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Bill:
Oh, and by "ovah" you mean, of course, like being up 3 games to nil in a playoff series ovah?

 

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Marty:
I don't blame you for bringing up 2004, Bill, because we both know deep down all you Sawx fans pine for that roster. Those guys were a winners while your current club, not so much.

 

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Marty:
And speaking of, you remember Johnny Damon, Bill? I think he had a couple of big hits in the 2004 run, didn't he? Kinda like what he's doing now for the greatest sports franchise in human history.

 

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Marty:
So how's Coco Crisp working out for you? Nothing like saving a few payroll bucks is there?

 

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Marty:
And Wily Mo Pena … What can one say? I'm watching ESPN highlights and Wily Mo comes on and I'm wondering, what the fuck, is there a new Fox reality series called "So You Think You Can Play the Outfield"?

 

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Yankees fan Marty in his penthouse lair:
Bwahahaha. Bwahahaha …

 

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Bill slamming phone with thought bubble:
Grrr‰ ‰$%%&&XXXrrrr!!!

 

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Author's Notes
The final panel contains a new image. You may need to clear your cache and do a force refresh in your browser to get it to show.

Failing that you can force the new style sheet and the new image by taking these links: http://www.soxaholix.com/tp/style/cells.css http://soxaholix.blogs.com/tp/images/billSlamR.jpg

Comments

[Carlos]

As much as I want Marty to be right, I think this is going down to the wire just like last year. Nothing like the Orioles to cure what ails ya....

[yazbread]

Sorry HB, Callaghan's words ring hollow this morning and Marty comes across more gracious than he actually need be. The season is over. Maybe the downside of 2004 is that I read the writing on the wall and don't hang on till the bitter end. Nice final panel - Callaghan does look quite apoplectic - he is ready to bust a gasket. RIP RSN 2006.

[Rob in CT]

How did I fucking KNOW Mahty was showing up today?

Grrr‰ ‰$%%&&XXXrrrr!!!, indeed!

[jdog71]

Marty's such a douchenozzle. Just wait...Do Tek, Wakefield, Trot, and Foulke ring a bell, you arrogant pus-spewing fuck? A few weeks from now, the old guard will return to right the ship, hopefully in time to sweep your asses in mid September.

[Billy Mahty]

Hey, at least Boomer is starting tonight.

It won't be too surprising if the Yanks roll into Fenway 4.5 up. I don't mean that to be cocky -- just look at the pitching matchups.

Great new image, h.b.

[Follower of Tito]

Now that is irony...Marty, the MFY fan, praising the 2004 Sox...talk about cutting to the quick. Although, he (and the rest of the MFY fans who say it's over) may be tempting fate. I am reserving judgement until Monday night.

And I cannot get J. Geils out of my head: Detroit Breakdown; Motor city shake down.

[louclinton]

Excellent last panel. If the boys keep circling the drain, that panel will have to be a new TShirt. I'm not giving up (at all) but I'm not seeing a lot of heart displayed at the Fens by the Boyz in Red. Maybe Vtek needs to get into someone's grill...oops he can barely walk. At least now I know that my distaste for Javy Lopez over the years was well-grounded.

feeling like I missed the last train to October....

lc

[Joe in Philly]

"So you think you can play the outfield" on FOX.

That's the line of the week for me.
I apologize in advance for stealing it and using the line without a footnote.

[Dave S.]

I'm with Follower of Tito. I still very much believe that this weekend series can change the landscape. The picture will be clearer on Tuesday.

I don't know how any honest Yankee fan can't ackowledge that the 2004 ALCS represented both a monumental choke as well as a great, great team. The 2004 Red Sox were a team for the ages, no doubt. The thing is, 2004 is rapidly fading in the rear-view mirror. Those past championships, bless them, provide thin cover from the cold.

[Pond]

A couple of big hits in 2004 by Damon? As I recall during the ALCS he batted .171 (1 for 13 in the three losses) with 11 strikeouts and was only productive in the game 7 blowout. No wonder he went to the Yankees.

[Bob]

Why, why, does Marty have to look like Ted Williams, H.B.? It makes his occasional appearances even more disturbing.

[Dave S.]

...yeah, HB...did you draw that final panel to try to shut Marty up in your head? It's pretty damn good. Bill looks like he wants to shove the receiver up Marty's ass.

[h.b.]

Bill has some serious anger management issues. :) From previous strips it was revealed he's been in and out of therapy for it and has been on various meds to help him control it.

2004 did much as anything to put Bill on an more even keel, but lately, he's having some, er, relapses.

[NV in SD]

Those past championships, bless them, provide thin cover from the cold.

Holy shit. Can this message please be broadcast to every. single. MFYF. in. the. world? Please?

Not that it would make them STFU or anything...

[Dave S.]

I am a pretty firm believer in that past championship invocation for trash-talking purposes lasts a season or so, after which point it starts to ring hollow, the reverb getting more pronounced as years pass. They're great for memories ('96-'00 was a fine, fine time to be a Yankee fan, and I'll enjoy thinking on various aspects of all of those seasons as long as I live...but lame indeed are the many fans whose rejoinder against the 2004 season trots out the "three-peat" or "four out of five" from the late nineties). I guess I'm also saying, though, that the warmth of the 2004 season for Red Sox fans is fading, too.

[Devine]

Right now, I'm basically waiting for the Yanks to romp through Fenway and make hope unnecessary. I know that that's not necessarily how it will be...just how I'm feeling right now. Which is summarized by, "Unless it's the Orioles, we suck."

[Follower of Tito]

My personal (and granted selfish) goals for the 2006 Sox season were met last Saturday when I went to the Fens with my dad...the warmth of that perfect day combined with the warmth of 2004 will see me through, if need be. But these beautiful August days before the beginning of the semester with mild days, cool nights and cobalt-blue skies in the western part of the Baystate go a long way to put me on a even keel. Maybe Bill needs a week out here in the Berkshires golfing and swimming to settle down...how about it, h.b.?

[Jason O.]

Advice to RSN:

"You know, it's in times like these when I look to my idol, Pat Sajak, for inspiration....he's such a decent fellow, I must say..."

-Ed Grimley

[Kaz]

I gotta wonder if Wily Mo is playing with his childhood glove...did you see how much of his wrist was sticking out from under the leather on that botched catch?

I was 12 rows from the bullpen and when he took the field, I yelled "Come on, Wily! Clean game! No errors!".

I just *knew* it was coming. He has no right to play in right especially late-and-close unless Kapler's leg actually comes off his hip and Trot juices up with turpentine accidentally before the game.

Everything was going so well too...another error by A-Rod, Baltimore up early, Schilling painting a Picasso on the mound...

All those things lead me to believe that the end of the game (Wily Mo K's looking??...but I didn't think it was a strike, I'll give him that) was an aberration. Say what you want in the standings book, but we put out a very decent effort in that game (while the Yankees had to pick one up off of the Baltimore Buttpen).

Friday starts our Five for Fighting. Let's pick up the win today and use the day off to focus, not fuck us. The Yankees are going to be dead tired come Tuesday of next week (they play on Thursday). We're going to make them wish they'd stayed in Baltimore.

[Natalie]

Thanks, Kaz. Now I have that f*^&%ing Five for Fighting song Superman in my head, and I can't help but wonder if that bodes poorly for our Sox. Heaven forbid Papi pick this weekend to bemoan: "I’m only a man in a silly red sheet..."

[Dave S.]

I'll split hairs with you Kaz..."had" to pick one off the O's bullpen was pretty much a straight result of working Bedard for 104 pitches through 6 innings...and didn't the Sox enjoy the soft underbelly of the O's bullpen during their sweep last weekend?

And the series is here in NY...I'll be at the game tonight. Taking one from Bob's book: anyone in NY head to Stan's at 6 p.m. I'll be by the door on the left. Mention Soxaholix and I'll buy you a beer!

[harwich rich]

Call me stubborn or unrealistic or whatever you want but I'm not giving in

[Kaz]

Careful, Dave S....that kind of offer in NYC posted on this site will probably net you a BigBri before a Jason O.

[louclinton]

Rich, you are stubborn, unrealistic and whatever.

Me either.

lc

[Jason O.]

Dave, I'd buy you a beer.

I'd also buy one for most regulars here as well.

(Notwithstanding that the Yankees are going to do to Fenway this weekend what the Romans did to Carthage after the battle of Zama, plowing the field with salt included)

[Aaron]

To take everyone's minds (briefly) off the Olde Towne Team's recent travails, here's a clip of Dennis Leary in the NESN booth taking some hilarious potshots at Mel Gibson...and nearly giving Remy a laughter-induced hernia in the process. (My apologies if someone has already posted link and I missed it.)

[NewHavenPatriot]

I never give up hope until the Sox can't mathematically make it into the playoffs. I'm going to the Sunday night Sox/Yankees game at the big Bronx toilet bowl on September 17th, so if you hear about some guy being beaten to death in the bleachers, that's probably me... lol.

Remember, in 2004, we came back from being 10 games down at one point. GO SOX.

[soxdownunder]

I'm jealous NHPat - I want tol be a Fenway on Sunday night. Hurrumph! Hopefully the fat bloke can pull us through today - down 1-0 as I write. Maybe there's still hope...maybe.

[soxdownunder]

1-1 - yippee!

[soxdownunder]

I realise I'm talking to myself (unless you're out there Ghengis) but the fat bloke did good tonight and the other results around the league ('cept Minesota)were pleasing. As Jo & Jerry said (somewhat precipitously) in '03 bring on the Yankees!

[Rob in CT]

It was nice to see them celebrate umpire Bruce Froemming's 5,000th game. Too bad he so miserably fucked up the call at home against Lowell. Mikey was clearly safe.

Still, I'm happy the Fat Man pitched deep into the game, and happier that we won. Bring on 'da Bombers!

[George in NY]

NY radio focusing on our 'young' starters being the key to this weekend, and assuming the mfy will put the boys away this weekend. If we manage a split Friday all of NY will gather on respective ledges. If we win 3 of the 5 I'll have to walk close to the buildings on Monday morning.