There has been some discussion lately about which Sox players are most hated and which ones are more tolerable from a Yankees fan perspective, and I thought it deserved it's own post and analysis.
We'll start with the most hated members of the Red Sox. Papelbon and Beckett. Papelbon is an arrogant piece who infuriated Yankees fans by suggesting he should close the 2008 all-star game, played in Yankee Stadium, instead of Mo. He also enjoys punching children and talking down to others. This guys is such an awful human being that even Sox fans can't stand him as a person, even as they admire what he does from the mound. Beckett is also arrogant, and has about as much class as your local crack house. I think Yankees fans, despite having less love for Papelbon, react more strongly to Beckett. This is largely due to the fact that when we face Beckett, we have to put up with his antics (Oh $#!%, I'm talking like Dallas Braden) for multiple innings at a time. Also, while our hatred for Papelbon, I think, runs deeper, it gets tempered by genuine respect for what he does on the diamond. More often than not, Papelbon, I hate to say it, dominates. Beckett does not have the same level of success against us that Pap does, so the ill will towards him is not tempered by anything except more ill will.
Now, Youkilis falls into a strange middle category. Yankees fans hate this guy, but they have no reason to. Be honest, besides being horribly uneasy on the eyes, what has this guy ever done? Get thrown at by Joba? How dare he! Youkilis is actually a likable player: he's a good hitter, plays hard, doesn't run his mouth, and has a healthy level of respect for Jeter's gangster. But we hate him anyway. Maybe it's the batting stance.
Then there are the guys we like but don't admit it. Ortiz and Pedroia readily come to mind. Ortiz has killed us in the past and we all hate him for that. But his personality has won us over. We respect him as a worthy opponent and like him as a person. Pedroia definitely has a bit of arrogance about him, but it's different. It's not like Pap or Beckett. They're douches. Pedroia, on the other hand, is a Masshole. This is a person who carries himself with a strange mixture of self-effacing arrogance. He's cocky, but he doesn't take himself too seriously. The perfect example is the commercial he did for that video game whose name I can't remember. There Pedroia is, talking himself up as an MVP award winner, but in the context of a commercial that's totally $#!%ing on him. Self-effacing arrogance. Additionally, he too, like Youkilis, has a healthy level of respect for Jeter's gangster.
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12 comments:
Fack Youk!
Well done. Hard to disagree. I loathe Papelbon, can't stand Beckett. Youk isn't likeable either, but I can respect him as a player.
If Ortiz and Pedroia played for other teams they would be much more likeable. Pedroia's laser show and bomb squad comments last week were hilarious
Mike Lowell is my pick for likeable Sox player. Youk just has an ugly face and opens his mouth when Joba throws at it. Pedroia is annoying mostly because of the way the baseball media covers him. He's good, but he's no Cano. Beltre and VMart probably aren't real Sox yet, but they don't bug me.
I thought about including Lowell, but I felt like Lowell, while likable, doesn't seem to evoke strong feelings in either direction amongst most fans. He's sort of a non-entity. Certainly a classy player, but kind of recedes into the background. That was my view anyway.
I truly HAAAAATE Beckett and Papelbon. Papelbon more so. And Schilling. And Theo himself. Lackey seems like a douchebag, too.
Youk is my irrationally disliked Red Sock player. He's so freaking ugly and everything he does is ugly. Plus, people that have met him say he's kind of a dick. I also irrationally dislike Beltre. He seems like he's smelling something bad and he's angry about it. Dice-K too because he is SO unbelievably irritating to watch.
I actually liked Ortiz when he used to kill us. He seemed like a really nice guy. I like him a lot less now... his absolute DENIAL of the steroid stuff, plus him admitting he won't give 100% if he's not in a full-time role... he doesn't seem so nice any more.
Pedroia is hilarious. He is overrated and overly beloved by the media, but I mean, that's not his fault. Did I get annoyed when Buck and McCarver were blabbering on about how amazing he was for backing up a play at first base? Yeah. But again, that's not his fault. I also don't think his MVP was an embarrassment; it was a weak year and there were a bunch of pretty good candidates.
I love Lester, too, and would happily take him on my team. I like JD Drew because he's really good and all of Boston hates him, which I find hysterical. No problems with V-Mart and I don't expect to have any problems with him either... he seems fine. Wakefield and Lowell seem like class acts.
I don't like Ortiz. Never have. I really don't believe that he's the "good guy" that everybody paints him to be. Irrational? Maybe. But I don't like David Arias Ortiz. (Or is it Ortiz Arias?)
I dislike Yuckylisp as well. The guy doesn't strike out. Ever. At least in his mind. If the umpire calls a strike three on him, he argues and/or throws a fit. Every single time. Or at least he used to. Don't know about this season.
Most hated S*x player ever? Pedro Martinez. The guy is an absolute ass. I think Buckett has surpassed him in that department, however.
This is great stuff. My reason for rating Beckett above Papelbon on the Douchebag Scale is that Beckett gets angry and can't keep his mouth shut. He's often screaming at Yankee players and I'm pretty sure he dropped a c-bomb on Joba once. I can't see Papelbon experiencing Beckett's meltdown either.
Papelbon is just arrogant and not terribly bright. I think his arrogance is directed as much at his own team (see his contract demands) as against the Yankees. And I don't think he pitches angry. Beckett can seem enraged over nothing.
Youkilis is only hated because he's (a) very good at baseball and (b) ugly. Although he seems to take it too personally when he gets hit, which led to the memorable incident when he charged Porcello and got tossed to the ground like rubbish.
Ortiz is genuinely hateable because of his going from a Twins releasee to a Red Sox icon and Yankee killer while on PEDs and basically getting away with it.
The media adoration that surrounds Pedroia is hateable; Pedroia the player isn't.
We haven't had to deal with him for very long, but Lackey could easily rival Beckett and Papelbon for Most Obnoxious Red Sox. He fits right in on that team.
It will be interesting ow our relationship with Lackey evolves. Right now, he does seem to be obnoxious, but it is a little early to tell.
The only way I can say I like a Red Sox player is if I feel that I want him on my team. Back in the day it was Yaz and Dwight Evens, never Fisk. In todays game it's got to be Youk and Pedroia. Not that the Yankee's need them or even have a spot for them but I would want them. Boggs was never a Yankee, he was a selfloving dirtbag hidden by pin stripes.
Right now, he does seem to be obnoxious, but it is a little early to tell.
He's been obnoxious with the Angels for YEARS. He yelled at his fielders when he made mistakes (still does) and screamed about "blowing Fenway up" when he pitched there and stuff. He fits right in with that Red Sox team.
Oh, I really dislike Varitek too. Wannabe tough guy. Next time you fight someone, take your mask off, you pussy. (I can say that cuz I'm a girl.)
The giant C is annoying too. It gives me great pleasure to see him wearing it... on the bench.
That's fair, but I'd still like to see how his dynamic with the Yankees plays out as we start to see him more and more. I agree that he seems to meet the odd low-character thing the Sox have going with guys like Beckett and Pap. But I'd still like to see him a little more before assigning him a place in this rivalry.
Agreed on Varitek. Don't care much for him. He just gives off a weird, unlikable, vibe for me.
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