Last week I was talking to a Red Sox fan about how much I hate Red Sox fans. But then we got around to Angels fans and Blue Jays fans and fans of other teams and I had to amend my thought. I love to hate Red Sox fans but I respect them, too. Remember when Joe Torre came back from cancer in 1999 and the crowd at Fenway gave him a nice hand?
Well, the Sox fans showed their character again today, giving Mariano Rivera a standing ovation when he took the mound in the 9th. Sure, the Red Sox have faired relatively well against Rivera over the years–relative being the key word. But the cheers today were not ironic or sarcastic, they were sincere. Mo was deserving and they gave him his due.
That’s what’s up.
A nice moment in the final act of what turned out to be a satisfying 5-2 win for the Yanks. Hiroki pitched well, as is his custom, five hits in the 7th got him the runs he needed and Robertson and Mo put heads to bed to end it.
[Photo Via: USATSI]
I will personally go Kill Bill on anyone who doesn't vote for Mo first ballot when his time comes. There is absolutely no justification to not vote him in unanimously, and I'd hate to go down in trivia purgatory as that one or three jack-offs who thought their personal agenda was more important than baseball history. Unless, of course, it's a hospital emergency or something disastrous that prevents them from casting a ballot. Otherwise, skkkkkkk!
And Chris Stewart made a terrific double play in the 8th, too.