SB Nation User Blog: SoxRoxFan

Rivalries

SoxRoxFan — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:19:46 -0000

Growing up in the Boston area, there has always been a rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox. Depending on your proximity to Boston or New York more or less predicted where your loyalties lay. Geography is only one factor. More importantly, history between the two teams has a more profound impact on the strength of the rivalry. 1918, 1978, 2004. Ring a bell?

Rivalries are important to baseball (and sports in general). They fuel our passion for the game, win or lose. They give meaning to a season, even when your team is far from contention. Beat your rival, and the season wasn't for naught. Rivalries are mutual. Each side passionately wants the other side to lose. And depending on the strength and length of the rivalry, the desire for the other side to lose turns into a need for complete, unmitigated devastation.

Rivalries develop over time. Given that the Rockies are a relatively young franchise without a strong tradition of winning, and with few teams in close proximity to us geographically, I submit that we have few strong rivalries.

Naturally, the Rockies have a bit of a rivalry with the D-Backs, given their geographic proximity. Eric Byrnes aside, our rivalry is very friendly, in part because of the how many Colorado transplants live in the Phoenix area, and vice-versa. Additionally, with the exception of Rocktober, neither team has competed for (or in) the playoffs at the same time. I think there's a bit of a rivalry with the Cubs, simply because of the number of Midwest transplants who now live in Denver. However, it's more of a one-way rivalry. We think Cubs fans are generally obnoxious, while I'm not sure Chicagoans really feel strongly one way or the other about the Rox.

Now with Rocktober, and Thongtember as touchpoints, we're beginning to see strong polarizing effects of our winning ways. To wit: look at the number of vitriolic comments about the Rockies at McCovey Chronicles. To me this sounds like the beginning of a beautiful rivalry. Of course, history tells us that their closest rivals are the Dodgers. That won't change. However, additional rivalries can emerge.

The Rockies are beginning to position themselves to be perennial contenders. We've all read the Pebble Reports. We know that we have strong potential in the farm where it counts. And now we're beginning to debate which team has the better prospects. These things seem to indicate the start of a rivalry.

The best part of this season, for me, has been watching how fans of both the Giants and Rockies rally around their respective teams and develop a sense of "our team is better". Winning teams do that. Here's to continuing that tradition, and here's to hope that the D-Backs will rebound (a little) to light a bigger competitive fire with us. It's the stuff that makes baseball great in September and October.

Even Cincy-area Sports Writer Thinks Tracy is MOY

SoxRoxFan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:11:30 -0000

Even Cincy-area Sports Writer Thinks Tracy is MOY

I decided to peek over at Red Reporter, and they had a link to an article by Hal McCoy, a HOF sports writer from the Dayton Daily News. He makes the case for Tracy as Manager of the Year

Hirsch to Yankees

SoxRoxFan — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 13:50:41 -0000

Hirsch to Yankees

This one seems to have flown under the radar

Beimel in, Rincon to the DL

SoxRoxFan — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:43:07 -0000

Beimel in, Rincon to the DL

Troy Renck reports that Rincon has elbow stiffness

Cardinals Complete Trade For Matt Holliday

SoxRoxFan — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:04:26 -0000

Cardinals Complete Trade For Matt Holliday

For Wallace, Shane Peterson, and Clayton Mortenson

Cards & A's Discussing Holliday For Wallace

SoxRoxFan — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:34:05 -0000

Cards & A's Discussing Holliday For Wallace

Not that I want to see Holliday back in the NL (other than for the Rockies), but the Cards get a bat, and the Giants keep searching...

Padres To Extend Bud Black Through 2010

SoxRoxFan — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:50:55 -0000

Padres To Extend Bud Black Through 2010

Only noted because they're in the same division. Personally, I don't think he should be blamed for the Friar's current demise.

Rosenthal: Like it or not, it's time to welcome Manny back

SoxRoxFan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:07:19 -0000

Rosenthal: Like it or not, it's time to welcome Manny back

quote:
"Let's not hear any hand-wringing or circumspect analysis about what the fans' embracing of Ramirez says about our society, the deeper meaning of it all.

I'll tell you what it means:

Fans are sick of steroid talk.

Fans just want to be entertained.

Play ball."

Rosenthal is right when he says fans are sick of Steroid talk, but his reasoning is flat out wrong. It's not because it's the "elephant in the room," but rather that we're sick and tired of those who tarnish the game.

They were sick of Manny in Boston, and were happy to see him go (despite his bat), myself included. He's bad for the game, regardless of his PED usage.

Pirates Open To More Deals? [Grabow and Capps]

SoxRoxFan — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:50:36 -0000

Pirates Open To More Deals? [Grabow and Capps]

Middle Relievers anybody?

Atkins in Boston?

SoxRoxFan — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:06:01 -0000

Atkins in Boston?

MLB Trade Rumors reports that with Mike Lowell on the DL, Nick Johnson and Atkins are potential fits to replace him. Not sure this will happen, but Boston does have a lot of pitching depth that we might be able to tap into, though I doubt they're willing to part with any right now.