Fan Griping
I’m going to rip into the fans a little for a couple of issues I have with them.
There’s no question that last night’s loss was very frustrating, but during the course of a 162 game season there are going to be games like that. Knowing this, I usually try to keep the same even-keeled temperament throughout the season. Okay, maybe I do get a little more excited when they go on a run like the one that just ended, but for the most part I don’t really get down on the team when they hit a wall and lose a couple like the last two. And I certainly don’t get down on the players.
It really bothers me the way the fans get on the players. I wrote about how they were all over Bellhorn during the playoffs last year but if it wasn’t for him (and Francona sticking with him) we may not have made it to and won the World Series.
They’ve been doing it to him again this year and now last night they got all over Foulke. Bellhorn has even admitted that it was probably bothering him and he was pressing to do well at home (he is now showing signs of coming out of it). And although Foulke won’t admit it, and is saying all of the wrong things, it’s probably bothering him too.
Why can’t the fans just lay off these guys and give them a break? Yes I know they’re playing a game and making a lot of money doing it, but they’re human and they can’t be expected to be good all the time. You know it’s killing them to perform the way they are and booing them isn’t going to make it any better.
Ballplayers say that the fans pay a lot of money to come to a game (true) so that gives them the right to boo. I think that’s crap. I don’t think the players really mean it, and I don’t think it gives the fans the right to do it. I think anyone booing a guy who is trying his best and not playing well is displaying their ignorance for the game. It’s just ridiculous and it really needs to stop, although I know it never will, which is too bad because what these guys need is support from the fans.
Johnny Damon has gained a lot of ground on Ichuro in the last week and is now less than 14,000 votes shy of getting in. Ichuro is not having a bad year (although he’s down from what we’re used to from him), but Damon is having a much better year and is more worthy of the spot. With the ground he’s been gaining, hopefully he will make it in. If he does, now that Teixeira has passed Martinez for the lead at first base, it will be the first time that I can remember every starting position being filled by a player that deserves to be there. At least in the AL, the NL is a different story.
As much as I love the idea of letting the fans vote for the starting All-Star lineup, it’s not a perfect system. It’s just a shame that so many fans who are not knowledgeable enough about the game end up voting for the most popular players, or the players they know, and not the ones that actually deserve to be there.
A perfect example of this is 3rd base in the NL. Scott Rolen is ahead in voting. I love Rolen but he has only played in 33 games because of injury and his numbers are not All-Star worthy this year. He’s a popular well known player who played for the NL champs last year and is getting votes now because of it, despite the fact that there are at least 5 players who should be ahead of him in voting, lead by Aramis Ramirez and Morgan Ensberg.
It’s also happening at shortstop, catcher, and the outfield over there. I can’t really argue with Pujols at first base, but I think Lee is a little more deserving right now.
Unfortunately there’s not really much that can be done about it. There should be some sort of test you have to take to determine if you know enough about the game before you can vote. While we’re at it, maybe we should do one for voting for president too.
Oh well, it’ll never happen and I guess we’ll just be stuck with having to deal with players getting voted to the All-Star team who shouldn’t be, and politicians being voted to the White House who shouldn’t be.
There’s no question that last night’s loss was very frustrating, but during the course of a 162 game season there are going to be games like that. Knowing this, I usually try to keep the same even-keeled temperament throughout the season. Okay, maybe I do get a little more excited when they go on a run like the one that just ended, but for the most part I don’t really get down on the team when they hit a wall and lose a couple like the last two. And I certainly don’t get down on the players.
It really bothers me the way the fans get on the players. I wrote about how they were all over Bellhorn during the playoffs last year but if it wasn’t for him (and Francona sticking with him) we may not have made it to and won the World Series.
They’ve been doing it to him again this year and now last night they got all over Foulke. Bellhorn has even admitted that it was probably bothering him and he was pressing to do well at home (he is now showing signs of coming out of it). And although Foulke won’t admit it, and is saying all of the wrong things, it’s probably bothering him too.
Why can’t the fans just lay off these guys and give them a break? Yes I know they’re playing a game and making a lot of money doing it, but they’re human and they can’t be expected to be good all the time. You know it’s killing them to perform the way they are and booing them isn’t going to make it any better.
Ballplayers say that the fans pay a lot of money to come to a game (true) so that gives them the right to boo. I think that’s crap. I don’t think the players really mean it, and I don’t think it gives the fans the right to do it. I think anyone booing a guy who is trying his best and not playing well is displaying their ignorance for the game. It’s just ridiculous and it really needs to stop, although I know it never will, which is too bad because what these guys need is support from the fans.
Johnny Damon has gained a lot of ground on Ichuro in the last week and is now less than 14,000 votes shy of getting in. Ichuro is not having a bad year (although he’s down from what we’re used to from him), but Damon is having a much better year and is more worthy of the spot. With the ground he’s been gaining, hopefully he will make it in. If he does, now that Teixeira has passed Martinez for the lead at first base, it will be the first time that I can remember every starting position being filled by a player that deserves to be there. At least in the AL, the NL is a different story.
As much as I love the idea of letting the fans vote for the starting All-Star lineup, it’s not a perfect system. It’s just a shame that so many fans who are not knowledgeable enough about the game end up voting for the most popular players, or the players they know, and not the ones that actually deserve to be there.
A perfect example of this is 3rd base in the NL. Scott Rolen is ahead in voting. I love Rolen but he has only played in 33 games because of injury and his numbers are not All-Star worthy this year. He’s a popular well known player who played for the NL champs last year and is getting votes now because of it, despite the fact that there are at least 5 players who should be ahead of him in voting, lead by Aramis Ramirez and Morgan Ensberg.
It’s also happening at shortstop, catcher, and the outfield over there. I can’t really argue with Pujols at first base, but I think Lee is a little more deserving right now.
Unfortunately there’s not really much that can be done about it. There should be some sort of test you have to take to determine if you know enough about the game before you can vote. While we’re at it, maybe we should do one for voting for president too.
Oh well, it’ll never happen and I guess we’ll just be stuck with having to deal with players getting voted to the All-Star team who shouldn’t be, and politicians being voted to the White House who shouldn’t be.
posted by Bob at 6/29/2005 09:59:00 AM
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