Things were different in the old days. On the day the Red Sox are celebrating the Impossible Dream Season, Dan writes how things were different before that spectacular run. And he manages to make it terribly boring. A few quotations from Yaz and a couple of attendance totals. A tepid effort at best. Nothing to inspire the fans before the latest Home Opener.
Even when writing about the past, Dan manages to reference his favorite present day targets. Did you know Manny Ramirez makes $20 million per year? Did you know there is a media frenzy surrounding Daisuke Matsuzaka? (Can we end the 'Dice-K' nickname? Not only does it promote silly Bermanisms, but it's stupid. It is how his name is pronounced, it can't be a nickname. It would be like calling Alex Rodriguez 'Al-X.')
Dan ends the column asking Yaz about the new Japanese starter. Why? WHY?! Why does every Red Sox column have to somehow relate to Matsuzaka. Opening Day and today, Dan manages to make it about a player who is not going to play. There is nothing left to say but that the contradiction in Dan's attitude has been noted before.
Actually, while Manny's 2007 salary counts as $20M toward the cap, in real dollars he's getting $18M in salary this year.
ReplyDeleteWhich is a bargain relative to 1) his production and 2) the highest paid players at most other positions.
In the olden days, Tris Speaker played for spare change and a used pair of cleats. Today, Manny makes 8 zillion dollars.
ReplyDeleteHere's something I bet Dan's readers didn't know. In 1967, players didn't make a lot of money. Today, they do. Thanks for clearing that up.
This could have been a big day for Shank. He could have bombarded us with half-forgotten names and stats but instead submits a very vanilla column. It's Bizzaro World over at the Globe. When we don't ask for a Clive Rush reference, he gives it to us. When the opportunity arises to pummel us about the head with Ned Martin on the radio stories he doesn't. Very odd.
ReplyDelete(Note: I wiki-ed Clive Rush and I found out that the man coached the Pats waaaay back in 1969! Both my father and mother were 14 years old when Mr. Rush was shocked by an ungrounded mike. Next time, Shank, why don't you make a Rod Rust reference? Let's try to stay current.)
The Boston Globe, expectedly, is taking Schilling to task in its editorial page for blogging. What they really lament is the invention--by Al Gore--of the Internet in the first place. Their flagging fortunes are a direct result of the Internet's arrival. But that's a different story for a different day. Today, Schilling is seen as despised for two things mostly: One, for blogging Dan Shaughnessy into irrelevance and short-circuiting his reason for being. Two, because Schilling is a George Bush guy...which The Globe certainly did not let go unmentioned.
ReplyDeleteI am so happy to see The Boston Globe mired in misery. Pink slips for the Pink Ship. Plummeting revenues and readership; lost lustre and reputation. A laughingstock is what they are now.
Dan,
ReplyDeleteNice write-up for the Globe on today's game. Lets talk sometime - maybe have a chat.
Email me at sonsofsamhorn@gmail.com
I think the fans would love it, lol!
best,
Eric Christensen
founder, SoSH
Actually, there is no salary cap in baseball, so I guess we'll be seeing a correction.
ReplyDeleteLuxury tax; sorry.
ReplyDelete