So, I've been told, but I think I am kind of lovable. :)
Living in southern New Jersey and spending a lot of time in Philadelphia over the past week or so has told me a lot about Yankees and Phillies fans. I am not naive to what Yankee fans are and why people do not like them.
Yankee fans are confident with many going into the cocky category.
However, Philadelphia fans are not any different. What's worse is that Philadelphia fans actually cannot comprehend the meaning of anything beyond the boundaries of their own teams.
Here are a few examples of what I've heard in the past two days. We're not even going to go with the week because I don't plan on spending three weeks typing.
1. 'Andy Pettitte doesn't scare me."
- Pettitte isn't the dominating lefty he was several years ago. He doesn't have Roger Clemens on his side like he did previously with the Yankees or while in Houston. However, Pettitte is one of the top postseason pitchers and when he's on, well ... Game 5 1996 World Series. Look it up.
He's given up six home runs to lefties this year, compared to 14 from righties. That's good news for Jayson Werth, but not Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez.
I'm not saying Philadelphia fans need to quaver, but at least show a little respect.
2. "Jimmy Rollins is better than Derek Jeter."
- I didn't smack the guy when he said this, although I really wanted to. Phillies need to stop pointing to Rollins' MVP season. It was two years ago and since then, Rollins is hitting .276 with a .302 OBP. Again, the Phillies lead off guy has a .302 OBP. He didn't even break .300 this year in OBP.
Defensively, Rollins gets the edge. But there is no way you can come out and say that Rollins is better than Jeter. Rollins won't even be the second-best short stop if the Yankees and Phillies meet in the World Series. Jeter isn't even the best short stop. In case anyone needs numbers, Jeter hit .334 (higher than Rollins' OBP) with a .406 OBP. At 35, he added 30 steals this year.
3. "I would take Ryan Howard over Pujols on my team."
- And, there it is. I couldn't even have a real conversation after that was said. Yes, Howard is very good. Great power numbers and in the postseason, he has been terrific.
But, let's get real. It's Albert Freakin' Pujols. He's the best baseball player in the game. You take a player like Pujols over anyone at anytime because players like him do not come along often.
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I'm done with the rant. So, yes, while Yankees fans are easy to hate, at least they're are knowledgeable and can have a real baseball conversation.
Psh, Phillies.
ReplyDeleteWow Philly fans sound naive! I'd like to know why they thought some of that stuff. I can kinda see why Pettitte doesn't scare 'em, but the Jeter-Rollins comment and the Pujols one seem pretty impossible to make for anyone who's got a clue. I don't even think Rollins deserved the MVP that year....and they're using that as a way of determining how much better he is? Heh.
ReplyDeleteliving here in Northeast Pennsylvania I am smack dab in Phillies country. All I can say is these people set fire to their own cars when their team wins. They climb lightpoles only to be knocked off by other Philly fans who want to see them smacked in the head by a vodka bottle (its on youtube). Philly fans boo Santa Claus, cheer when a player might be paralyzed, and throw beer bottles at 11 year old kids (witnessed that one myself). I am not saying that all Philly fans are like this but there are enough.
ReplyDeleteI am now a Yankee fan in potential enemy territory. I am hoping the Yankees win tonight and move on to the World Series. There is one thing I have noticed among Yankee fans, 2004 humbled many and scared away many fair-weather fans.
Ryan Howard over Pujols.....all I can say is... the stupid, it burns.
ReplyDeleteI am as anti Jeter as anyone, of course it is all about his defense...he has always been a great offensive SS and quite frankly is still near the top of the league in that regard. .300 OBP from anyone sucks, it's just that much worse when it's your leadoff guy!
"when he's on, well ... Game 5 1996 World Series. Look it up" is why people dislike Yankees fans, by the way. What he did ten years ago has no place in a conversation about this year's World Series. Andy Pettitte has no reason to be scaring anybody right now.
ReplyDeleteAnd, for the record, I'd take Rollins over Jeter in a second. But, I'd probably take Pujols...unless my line-up was already righty-heavy.
Taking Jimmy Rollins over derek Jeter is just silly. Jeter's batting average is better than Rollins' OBP. He has not done anything since his MVP season despite playing in the National League's most dangerous offense. Jeter is hitting the ball like nobody's business this year. His defense has improved to near gold glove caliber.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason Jeter should be taken over Rollins? Pure stats. It is easy to see who is better.
Sooz, you're going to write off an entire fan base due to a couple of comments?
ReplyDeleteI work with a Yankee fan and let me tell you this guy is the very embodiment of every negative stereotype of a New Yorker there is. This guy couldn't tell you who was on the Giants team pre super bowl or any of the Yankee teams of the late 90s save for 2-3 obvious players that my Grandmother would know.
But, to balance that out, I have a good (great) buddy from Brooklyn who although he likes the Giants is a great guy and a good friend.
Go Phils.
Anybody that has watched Rollins this year and knows anything about Jeter would definitely not take Jimmy. Rollins MVP season was a good one, but it is the anomaly. The last two seasons were a bit down but also a lot closer to his career norm then the MVP season.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of weapons in the Phils lineup and the pitching is good enough -
The key is everybody approaches there job professionally.
Thats it - and thats what the Yankees Angels and Phillies have in common. There aren't many ez outs between the three teams and the pitching is generally superior for all 3 with each having minor holes.
3. "I would take Ryan Howard over Pujols on my team."
ReplyDelete- And, there it is. I couldn't even have a real conversation after that was said. Yes, Howard is very good. Great power numbers and in the postseason, he has been terrific.
It's not THAT egregious. I mean, if I can't have Pujols, then I'm taking Ryan Howard way before anyone else at the position. If someone says they'd take him over Pujols with both, I wouldn't think twice about it. Wrong yes, but not embarrassingly so.
#2 is a FAAAAAR stupider comment. I'm no Jeter fan, but until Rollins proves otherwise again, he isn't even a top-20 SS again.
And Pettitte isn't worth fearing at this point in his career, no matter how well he continues to play. And your comment was almost as bad as the Rollins over Jeter nonsense you heard. No matter how good he does, he's not an elite pitcher anymore, period.
That all said, I gotta ask: What's the point of this anyway? Do you feel the need to justify yourself and your team's fans or something? Everyone already knows that Philadelphia sports fans (at least those in person at any given game) are the biggest assholes in American sports. They are about as close as we get in the USA to soccer hooligans in Europe & Latin America, and they are proud of it. Even the overall arrogant, douchey Yankee fans are gonna come off looking good compared to that.
And I have my doubts on your last line. YOU are knowledgeable & easy to have an intelligent baseball conversation with, but you are also a professional sports writer. Most sports fans of every team lack your knowledge and/or insight, which seems especially true of fans of teams in the northeast (Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies).
Whew, rant mode off.
Word Verification: angst; Bahaha...
Fans make bizarre comments constantly. It doesn't matter what team they follow.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, even announcers make ridiculous comments. They say things like "He's a professional hitter". Gee thanks. Or they cite how well a player hits in Sunday day games in August, historically.
Heck, managers of teams make foolish decisions often (Girardi - the worst I've ever seen).
I live in Seattle and fans here thought Willie Bloomquist was an amazing player that was never given a fair shot. They couldn't understand why.
I love the Phillies/Yanks matchup. Both fan bases are insanely passionate and cutthroat.
Phillies fans are notorious for being brutal. After all, these are the same fans that booed Mike Schmidt many many times; the best 3rd baseman ever.
But hey, Yankees fans haven't exactly appreciated how good Arod has been for them either.
"He doesn't hit in the clutch." is always the line Yanks' fans say.
Yet Arod and Reggie Jackson have similar career playoff numbers:
Jackson (.278 ba, 18 hr, 281 ab, .885 OPS).
Arod (.307 ba, 12 hr, 212 ab, .907 OPS).
I've heard several Yankees fans STILL not give Arod credit these playoffs. They have actually told me that he is only hitting because he is trying to impress his girlfriend, Kate Hudson. It makes me speechless.
I don't think any fan base has a monopoly on silly comments.
It's my blog and I'll do what I want!
ReplyDelete