Love him or hate him (and if you're reading this in Boston, we have a pretty good idea where you stood), George Steinbrenner made baseball a lot more interesting. And the game won't be the same without him, as he died in a Tampa hospital this morning at 80. From his sketchy beginnings as Yankee owner, to his fortnightly firings of Billy Martin, to his opening his wallet and blowing MLB's salary structure wide open, to his perfect portrayal on Seinfeld, he was a character. He hated the Red Sox, and Red Sox fans hated him back. At least we have his son Hank to keep the rivalry interesting.
When Bostonist were kids, there were two nights a year we were permitted to stay up wicked late: New Year's Eve, and the baseball All-Star Game. We don't think we would have been allowed to stay up 'til 1:47 A.M. as kids. But that's what it would have taken to make it through last night's game.
You'd think that a day on which we learned that the Pope would rather celebrate mass at Yankee Stadium than anywhere near Boston would be a grim one. Let's face it, that's kind of like George Steinbrenner holding a press conference to announce that Yankees fans are guaranteed eternal salvation, but Red Sox fans will be hitting the highway to hell when their times come. But hey - let the Pope do what he will....
We know that Massachusetts is the albatross around Mitt Romney's neck as he campaigns for the Republican nomination. We know he talks about us like an old fling he had, that doesn't really mean anything. And for the most part, it's mutual.
Last night, author Dave Zirin said that when sports radio tries to tackle politics, the results are so ugly that "it's like imagining Mitt Romney wearing cornrows." Something's just not right.
--The metaphorical rain drops may keep on fallin' on the Yankees' heads, but it seems rain clouds really do follow the Red Sox around. Friday night's game in Texas was delayed about two hours because the skies just flat-out refused to clear. The good news? Things eventually got underway and the Sox won, 10-6. The bad? The game didn't end until 1:30 a.m. EST, and those who didn't stay tuned probably turned their televisions off...
6-0. Sounds good, doesn't it? Well, it looked grim for a while for Josh Beckett and the Sox. Dan Johnson broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the sixth with an RBI single, but the Sox rallied off 2 off the Oakland bullpen in the bottom of the inning. Then Okajima and Timlin shut the A's down, and just like that, Beckett became the majors' first six-game winner in the 6-4 triumph. Bostonist hearts...
"Enough is enough. I am bitterly disappointed, as I'm sure all Yankee fans are, by the lack of performance by our team," said Yankee owner George Steinbrenner. But in the same statement, he reaffirmed his faith in manager Joe Torre and GM Brian Cashman to right the ship. With rumors of a deathwatch swirling in the Bronx, it will be real interesting (and, from Boston's perspective, joyous) to check the Boss' pulse after the next...
The list is out and it's been making waves from Best Week Ever to Regis & Kelly. The Phoenix’s 100 Unsexiest Men list named Gilbert Gottfried tops, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for him. Gottfried gets the nod for being, well, Gilbert Gottfried – has anyone ever cast him as a sex symbol? All sorts of press attention have come out of the list, and he’s almost always included in the article as holding top honor – good for him with his “Dirty Jokes” still fresh on the market.
Yes, Bostonist knows its only April and we've got a long way to go this baseball season, but things are looking good for the boys so far. With the last two nights bringing victory to the Sox over the Baltimore Orioles, the Red Sox are currently in first place in the AL East. Sure, Baltimore is only one game behind, but the pinstriped boys from the Bronx are three games back and are feeling the...
