Fun Versus Fear
By ThrowsLikeAGirl
When I look at the Red Sox and the Yankee players attitudes, I notice things are not what they should be. With a 85-year drought on winning the World Series — and a feeling among their "Nation" that THIS may finally be THE YEAR — one would expect that the Red Sox players would be weighed down by a sense of HUGE pressure. The Yankees, an elite baseball force of cream-of-the-crop, bought-and-paid-for players, should be able to chill a little. You would expect that these soldiers of the Evil Empire would approach each game against their "inferior" opponents with the same effrontery of the Barbarians plundering of the entire Western World. In other words, they would pretty much expect to win – and win BIG TIME.
Instead, it’s the other way around. Although it may be maddening to some of their diehard, lifelong followers, The Red Sox clubhouse seems to be in a relaxed and casual frame of mind. Some guys pay attention to their own stats and what the press is saying about them. Some don’t. Wins and losses are handled on a game-by-game basis. "Turn the page" is Manny Ramirez’s favorite philosophical quote. He licks his finger and mimes the action. Just advance. It’s an attitude adopted by many of his teammates.
Pedro Martinez will start for the Red Sox in today’s rubber match facing off against Mike Mussina. Martinez told reporters that he doesn’t intend to panic in "the town that loves to hate me."
Is he worried about the divisional race? "I'm not sure, to be honest," Pedro said. "I don't even know the numbers." He’ll face today’s game as any other. "I'm only going to try and give 100 percent effort. I'm not a stopper, I'm not anything. I'm just a player trying to earn his living and do his job."
The new guys on the Sox are just giddy with the excitement of playing their part in THE storied Rivalry. "It's exciting to be a part of it when you're living it, but even after you're done playing, to realize you're part of history, is pretty special. This is generation to generation," said outfielder Dave Roberts.
Orlando Cabrera, who is reportedly the new class clown in the clubhouse, takes a remarkably mature and wise approach: "As a professional, we have to take one game at a time. We only think about tonight. Whatever happens tomorrow, happens tomorrow. I'm enjoying every minute. I just enjoy being on a winning team and playing for a reason besides your numbers."
And this quote from Manny Ramirez – who the New York Times calls "lovably goofy and incredibly productive" really gets the eyes rolling in Boston: "I don't care," Ramirez said. "I just play for fun. Of course I want to win a World Series. If I don't get it, I ain't going to drive myself crazy."
Even 20-game winning pitcher Curt Schilling is taking baby steps. "My goal is innings," he said to an AP reporter. "Playing on a team like this, if you pitch innings, you're going to win a lot of games."
Strangely enough, over in the Yankee clubhouse, the ulcers are getting ulcers. GM Brian Cashman is rumored to swill Maalox like it’s spring water. In Friday’s loss to the Sox, Mariano Rivera was caught snapping angrily from the mound at his teammate, Kenny Lofton: "Catch the ball!" A-Rod’s hot temper lit the fuse in the famous bench-clearer during July’s match up. Kevin Brown is punching walls. And even the Yankees most-deserving MVP, Gary Sheffield — who plays with the intensity of the street-hardened city kid that he is — says that he promised Steinbrenner that if signed to the Yankees "I'd lay my life down for him." Talk about extreme sports!
I think it’s because the Yankees are motivated by fear. They are afraid of loosing a 10 1/2 game lead and finishing behind the Red Sox. They are afraid they are not performing to their inflated salaries. It must be tough to go through life thinking of yourself as over-priced. But most of all they are fearful of Mad King George, and the tirades and head-rollings they know they must endure if they fail.
The better team is having fun. The more expensive team is having a panic attack.
Sources: The New York Times,
Yahoo Sports, The Boston Globe
