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Not as fun as sabermetrics, but still fun: Quinnipiac University conducted a poll asking New Yorkers about their NYC basebal loyalties. Not surprisingly, the Yankees are favored over the Mets - 46% of New Yorkers would want the Yanks to win a Subway World Series, whereas only 37% would want the Mets to win (we assume the remaining 17% are people who think a subway series involves actual subway cars or who don't want a ticker tape parade) - but what is surprising is that gap has narrowed since 1998, when the Yankees were preferred by 32%. Quinnipiac also asked questions like "Do you consider yourself a Yankees/Mets fan?" and also broke down the findings by borough - Yankees fans take the majority in all boroughs except Queens. The NY Sun's Tim Marchman looks at how many fans follow their teams through TV coverage - and how the Yankees' announcer Michael Kay stinks.
And while we're talking about Yankees fans, they are certainly out for blood when it comes to A-Rod. While Alex Rodriguez may not be a clutch player (and may have bad games), he produces - and has great stats - yet the fans still boo him mercilessly. Ah, the mysterious relationship between fans and A-Rod! We think the booing will continue until A-Rod produces some sort of miracle bottom-of-the-9th grand slam during the Division Championship or, better, yet the World Series, MVP or not. Till then, A-Rod will have to keep on dealing and the Post will keeping calling him a "head case". [Related: Sally Tomato was at last night's Yankees-Mariners game and give the rundown on seeing a game during a hot sweaty night.]
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I assume the remaining 17% are people who are not from the tri-state area originally and are fans of some other baseball team that sucks, left the county of Kings, or are Red Sox fans.
To the Red Sox fans run this bit of math:
Game 6 + Mookie + Buckner = Mets.
Mets all the way !!!!!!
Well, when a guy's paid $25 million a year yet manages to commit three throwing errors while posting an ofer at the plate (the last, a strikeout in the eighth with the bases loaded)...
Yeah, he produces, but does he produce when it counts? Keep in mind that the M's intentionally walked Giambi to get to A-Rod in the eighth last night.
Yankee fans just love to bring back 86 to torment us, but now we have a formula of our own:
ALCS'04+Big Papi+Pay-Rod= Biggest CHOKE in baseball history!
CONGRATULATIONS RED SOX, 1986 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS - Shea Stadium score board, Game 6, 1986 World Series.
Anything can happen in one game.
Yanks had Red Sox down to their last strike, 3 WHOLE GAMES DOWN for God sake!!!
Don't you belong on "Second Rate Cityist" or some such site, D. Leary?
Seriously, any adult whose life revolves around a bunch of out-of-shape men playing a child's game is a moron.
Going back to the article content for a moment...
I know many, many people who like Michael Kay. I'm one of them. I'm not a Yankee fan, and through the Extra Innings package have an opportunity to listen to announcers from around the country. I believe Kay is superior to most of them. Now, part of that is because I think most of the other ones are horrible, but nonetheless....
I agree that Cohen and Darling are very strong on Mets broadcasts. I also love Howie Rose, who wasn't mentioned. Hernandez? Well, to borrow from Newman, I despise Keith Hernandez.
#7 - Are you calling all baseball fans morons? I'd love to see some of these out-of-shape, child's game playing men come to your door, armed with bats and beat the sh*t out of you. Go comment on panda bear posts, sissy boy!
I for one cannot stand Michael Kay. I think Tim Marchman of the Sun hit the nail right on the head. Kay is an unabashed yankee lover, who is completely biased about other teams, players, etc.
He can never hold a candle to people like Mel Allan, Jack Buck, or Vin Scully.
The only other broadcaster who's slighly more obnoxious has to be Ken Harrelson for WGN..."He Gone"!
Anyone ever notice what a twitchy place Red Sox Nation is?
Maybe it's the ninety years spent between titles.
Maybe it's all that time spent in jail.
Or maybe it's that rapidly shrinking lead in the AL East.
'Course, it could just be the beer...
#10: I have absolutely no problem with you not liking Michael Kay: a lot of people whose baseball knowledge I respect don't like him. But, I don't think it's fair to criticize him by saying he's not the equal of Allen, Buck or Scully. To me, that's like criticizing Johnny Damon because he's not as good as Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle or Joe DiMaggio.
As far as Kay being hometown-biased, that's a pretty common baseball announcer affliction. A Yankee could have shot a guy and Phil Rizutto would have probably said, "Wow, check out the aim on that guy, White. He's something else!" But I do agree that Kay's friendships with some of the Yankees seem to affect his judgement or willingness to criticize.
If I gave as much thought to my business as I do stupid stuff like this, I'd probably be able to retire.
Thanks Phil..
Good point...
You can't blame someone for rooting for their hometown team, even if it may be a conflict of interest..
If I was in his shoes, I'd probably do the same thing without truly realizing it..
Good comeback, Sparky.
To answer your almost rhetorical question: sort of. There's nothing wrong with enjoying a ballgame. But to those baseball cap wearing 'adults' who get so impassioned as to brag about how 'their' team beat another team 2 years ago is - how do I put this - pathetic?
I'm hardly a sissy - I know that will absolutely wreck the image you've worked so hard to concoct.
I played sports as a kid, which is when they actually teach valuable life lessons such as teamwork, the spirit of competition, good sportsmanship, the love of the game, and so on.
Sadly, people like you lose all perspective and make it into a pissing contest. Bravo. You and people like you are the reason there are steroids, insane sports salaries, and out-of-whack entitlements for people who provide absolutely no benefit to society.