The Art Neuro Weblog

Taking Delight In The Suffering of Others
I know, it's not dignified, it's not good, it's not polite, it's not even about space exploration. However, it's somewhat of an endearing sport. Like dwarf-throwing or wet-T-shirt competitions or female mudwrestling. It's called, Watch Red Sox Nation Cry. The Red Sox have gone on a 22-2 surge, closing the gap with AL East leaders (and Perennial Red Sox Nightmare), the New York Yankees. Last year, the two teams met in a record 26 occasions, and in the game that mattered (ALCS Game 7), Aaron Boone hit that legendary homerun in extended innings to go into eternal baseball folklore; he will forever be a hero in the Empire State area, and he will always find a a new middle initial that he shares with Bucky Dent. Ah, the joyous memory of that one.

So in the spirit of laughing at the Red Sox, Jim Baker at Baseball Prospectus had this to say:

About a month ago I was punishing myself mentally and physically for having picked a Boston/Houston World Series. Now I do not feel so quite ashamed.

By now, the Red Sox have put themselves in a position where not making the playoffs seems unlikely. What that means is this: as we speak, the following memo is
going around the corporate headquarters of The Fates:

Colleagues:
I am assuming that most of you haven't noticed that our frequent past project Boston Red Sox have gone on a 20-2 run. Because of that, we must begin planning immediately for their ultimate undoing. It's much too late to dash their hopes à la 1978 during the regular season. Clearly, we are going to have to come up with something for the playoffs, instead. Last year's work was extraordinary but we don't have a Grady Little on hand to make our jobs easy, so this is what we need:

I want the boys down in R & D to give me four scenarios of doom. I need marketing to gauge the level of expectation of the Red Sox nation. How high is the cynicism factor? What can we do to overcome it, in order to maximize heartbreak?
Creative: Your thoughts? Can we top Bill Buckner without making it too obvious?
You have your assignments. I need your preliminary ideas on my desk in one week. In terms of priority, put the Cubs aside until further notice.

It's only funny because it's happening to somebody else. This may be the year the Red Sox go all the way. Then again, it may be just another year where they fall on their faces. History is either in the making or the repeating. :)

The Steve Bartman Seat
If 1918 seems like a long time ago for Red Sox Nation, try 1908. Yes, that's how long the World Series drought has been for the Chicago Cubs. Last year, the Cubs were 5 outs away from beating the Marlins and going to the World Series when disaster struck. Steve Bartman, an ardent Cubs fan stuck his hand out to catch a foul ball, interfering with a play Moises Alou had on it. Had Alou been able to catch the foul ball, the Cubs would have been out of the inning. Insted, the inning turned ugly and the Cubs lost. In fact, the Cubs lost the series and bowed out in the National League Edition of 'The Big Tragedy'.

Sine then, the seat Steve Bartman sat in that night has turned into a shrine of sorts, according to the New York Times. It's a nice article about a guy who at the right place at the right time, but managed to stick his hand into the wrong place at the wrong time. Poor Fella.

After the fateful play in Game 6, he was showered with abuse, with obscenities and beer, and was escorted by security out of Wrigley Field, his jacket covering his face as if he were on a perp walk. He received telephone death threats at the financial consulting firm where he works in suburban Chicago, and his home was patrolled by police cars. He issued one statement on the morning after Game 6, and has not been heard from since in any type of public forum.

The governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, knocked him. The governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, perhaps adding salt to the wound, offered Bartman sanctuary in Florida.

Now that was a bit much, last year. Seriously folks, if Steve bartman got in the way of the Cubs winning, how good could the Cubs have been anyway? isn't that an insult to your team? Anyway, maybe this will be the year the Cubs face off against the Red Sox in the all-bad-karma World Series? Or maybe it's just another heartache in a long line of heartaches that reaches back to the days before World War I. It's this kind of morbid fascination that keeps baseball so interesting.

- Art Neuro