Cheer for the Red Sox? Never!

I wrote something for The Faster Times site about the Wall Street Journal’s piece, “Enough With the Boston Glee Party,” which exhorts Yankee fans to root for the Red Sox. Jason Gay, the writer of the article, seems to think that Yankee championships are more meaningful with a competitive Sox team.

But that’s just silly. Most Yankee titles were won when the Sox were pathetic. Yet I don’t think Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle sat around crying, lamenting the lack of a pennant race with Boston!

I don’t want to sound like a cranky old Squawker here, but the complete lack of historical context in these Wall Street Journal pieces is simply breathtaking. When they’re not acting as if there have always been strong Yankees-Red Sox teams at the same time, they’re decreeing that Mickey Mantle was only the sixth greatest Yankee position player ever, and somebody who benefited from “dumb luck.” Or they’re twisting around statistics, leaving 1/3 of the Yankees’ homers out, in an effort to prove that A-Rod has the longest home run trots.

Anyhow, there is no way I’m going to root for the Sox to do well so that they have a pennant race with the Yankees. You can read more of my thoughts on the issue at The Faster Times’ site.

One other note – it was Squawker reader Alvaro who came up with the Boston Glee Party phrase in 2006. The WSJ should pay him royalties for using his phrase in their headline!