[simple simon]

i heard on ESPN Radio the other day that Red Sox fans are like Yankee fans and will have a hard time accepting JD Drew as a true Red Sox

i dont agree at all

yes Yankee fans can be that way, most notably how the still dont seem to accept A-Rod as a Yankee........but i dont think Red Sox fans are that way at all

we will accept Drew with open arms

[MJHMarc]

As a Dodger fan, I would have no problem accepting Drew (again) and Alex Rodriguez.

But it is those like Eric Gagne who were home-grown and departed from his parents (Dodgers' Organization).

[EmpireWF]

I'm sure if Drew has a season below expectations, he won't be completely accepted.

The bigger thing though this off-season is Red Sox fans can NEVER AGAIN use the argument that the Yankees are awful because they buy their players. Hear that BoSox faithful?!

[MJHMarc]

No matter what, you do "buy" your player's contract.

[piratesfan]

As a Yankees fan from Maine, I have just one thing to say.... the Red Sox must of been very hard up to spend what they spent on a 26 year old pitcher. Talk about buying a player! I hope that when all is said and done the arm holds out and the Sox recoop some of the money they wasted!!!
GO MATSUI!!!!

[simple simon]

Originally Posted by piratesfan

As a Yankees fan from Maine

holy crap where do i start ?

youre new so ill let it slide for a month or so

... the Red Sox must of been very hard up to spend what they spent on a 26 year old pitcher.

he could end up being a bargin

many of the "experts" think he will be a Cy Young contender.....if he can manage to win one or two over the next 5 years his contract will be well worth it

[MJHMarc]

Holding the title of a baseball "expert" doesn't hold a lot of weight.

[Nuke]

I think it's worse for Yankee fans wearing Yankee apparel in Fenway than Red Sox fans wearing Boston garb in the Bronx. Those Sox fans are brutal!

[Nuke]

Originally Posted by MJHMarc

Holding the title of a baseball "expert" doesn't hold a lot of weight.

So if Pippy the Parakeet proclaimed himself an expert one day in his cage you would tell that to him???

[joeytheking23]

Saying the Red Sox fans are like Yankee fans is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard, seriously. We do not run people out of town very often because they are hated, people leave on their own...the Yankees lose people because they can't win championships, or they want 201 million instead of 200.9 million that the Yankees offer for mediocre guys...we are not too rich for our shorts although we do have a high payroll, we spend it wisely. DO NOT ever say that Red Sox fans are on the same planet as Yankee fans, we are on the same planet as teams such as the Cubs fans, Dodger fans, etc

[Notorious C.L.E.]

Actually, Red Sox fans are on the same planet as Yankee fans. A $70 million, 5-year deal for J.D. Drew is not spending money wisely. A $36 million, 4-year deal for Julio Lugo is not spending money wisely. Spending $166.9 million in one offseason is spending money because you have it to spend. The teams that are spending their money wisely this offseason are the teams that aren't making major acquisitions, as this years free agent crop is so thin its embarrasing. Quite frankly, all larger market teams belong in the same category. The Yankees may have the highest payroll, but the Red Sox among others have been consistently similar spenders the previous few seasons it seems.

It's frustrating to be a baseball fan these days. It is like a chimpanzee going up against the proverbial eight-hundred pound gorilla. The chimp may outsmart the gorilla (i.e. scout better), but the gorilla has the weight to throw around that allows it to win on brute strength alone (i.e. spend frivolously).

The only way to have a competitive playing field is to install a salary cap. At the very least, teams should have protective exceptions that allow them to keep the players that came up through their farm system.

[ThePundit]

The one guy I never would have accepted as a Yankee, was Pedro Martinez. After he threw behind Kareem Garcia, threatened to hit Posada in the head, and threw Don Zimmer to the ground, I had zero respect for him. Zero.

But now players switch teams so often, you have to root for for the uniform. Hey if Yankee fans can root for Gary Sheffield, we can root for pretty much anybody.

[LSC9901]

Is it sane to be a fan of any team ?? Look at the way these teams operate today. Millions of dollars for players who we hope will hit home runs, pitch no hitters and make flying catches. Truly insane that they are paid in advance for what management hopes they can provide. Sports players should be treated like salesman. You sell a car you get a commission. You hit a homer you get extra pay. At the end of the year if you exceed expectations then you get a bonus. Someone please explain to me how any ball player is worth millions per year. I do understand that most of them are good at what they do .... but for millions of dollars per year ??? Not to me.

[Notorious C.L.E.]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Is it sane to be a fan of any team ?? Look at the way these teams operate today. Millions of dollars for players who we hope will hit home runs, pitch no hitters and make flying catches. Truly insane that they are paid in advance for what management hopes they can provide. Sports players should be treated like salesman. You sell a car you get a commission. You hit a homer you get extra pay. At the end of the year if you exceed expectations then you get a bonus. Someone please explain to me how any ball player is worth millions per year. I do understand that most of them are good at what they do .... but for millions of dollars per year ??? Not to me.

Because the millions they dole out pale in comparison to what they bring back into an organization.

Take Derek Jeter for example. He gets paid a hefty chunk of change, but he also generates revenue for the Yankees on his jersey alone. It isn't like the sports team is just getting on-field production from their superstars.

[ThePundit]

I agree with both Notorious and LCS. Notorious is right in that the teams wouldn't pay the money to the players if they didn't have the revenue coming in.

But I'll agree with LCS that it is harder to root for players when they make millions and then cry and complain about the littlest things. Guys like Gary Sheffield, Manny Ramirez, etc..