OT: CITIZENSHIP CHECK

[Gin and Tonic Sky]

In 12 hours a new baseball season starts , this year a little early in Japan.

Red Sox vs A'S . Defence of the title, here we go

Any fellow citizens of the nation out there? Stand up and be couted! Tell us your story!

Mine starts on May 20 , 1986. Fenway park, Minnesota twins vs Red Sox. Family were on a vacation from Minnesota to the east coast and I walked in, a kid of 15, a Twins fan (had my first baseball experiences inside that great plastic dome called the Metrodome, and thats all I knew).

Sitting there at Fenway, all of the sudden comes the biggest fuckin conversion since St Paul got cobbered over the head by Christ and was told to get his shit straight. I sat there in right field and I had the biggest revelation I had in my young life (except for the first time I read playboy post - puberty of course, ) . This place was REAL, real baseball , real passion, this was what it was all about. Real religion. No plastic bubble, no plastic grass.
No need for 100 stanzas of Amazing Grace to get me to the altar, I threw that twins shit I was wearing away and was a new man by the seventh inning stretch. Never looked back.

86- It was kind of a rough year to get my citizenship!, but good things come to true believers.

American by birth, Red Sox Nation by the Grace of God. A fuckin-men!

[rsimpson]

I'm an Angel fan. 1986 is the reason I hate the Red Sox

[Scotticus83]

I am a proud member of the Cardinal Nation.....besides, I only have to wait every 20 years for a championship....I can live with that.

[piecesofeight]

Boston Red Sox

[Scotticus83]

Fuck the Mariners.....you kidding me? The same team that had a 116-win season and then couldn't buy their way past the first round? No thanks....I'll stick to my 10-time World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals.........never had skipper's though.....is it better than Ivar's?

[Arkansas]

Never really have been a baseball fan...especially since the the '94 strike.
They're all a bunch of loser prima donnas that all want to pretend fight by running on the field at the slightest infraction. What a f'ing joke. Do they realize how stupid they look?

Baseball - America's favorite pasttime? NOT. Maybe in 1912 when no one had anything else to do.


later~

[Rick]

Baseball - America's favorite pasttime? NOT. Maybe in 1912 when no one had anything else to do.

I agree, it's not anymore. MR is.

[conversationpc]

American by birth, Red Sox Nation by the Grace of God. A fuckin-men!

I love the Sox and have been a fan since the mid 80s. Jim Rice is my favorite all-time ballplayer (needs to be in the HOF).

However, this kind of post is what sticks in the craw of other baseball fans (yeah the Spankee fans do the same thing). It's just a little too loud.

[Gin and Tonic Sky]

However, this kind of post is what sticks in the craw of other baseball fans (yeah the Spankee fans do the same thing). It's just a little too loud.

Point taken, didn't mean to denegrate any other team or their fans- ALL of which I in fact think are absolutley great , and worthy of shouting about. Heck Im just wildly exuberant about the sport in general- Its pure art to me - Im the kind of guy who can watch a handful of kids I dont know play ball in a dirt field using frisbees as bases and think its exciting !

[Squidward24]

I've been a Detroit Tigers fan since my daddy sat me in his lap to watch the game on the tube.

My first game in person was in the summer of 1984, I was eleven. It was sometime in July. Driving to the stadium we were singing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" having a good old time. We finally arrived and Tiger Stadium looked HUGE, we go inside and I was awestruck at the sight. The grass was so bright and green, compared to that dull green on the TV, the sights, the sounds, the smells it was lot to take it at once.

Our seats were along first baseline, about 3/4 of the way to first base. I don't recall who were were playing, or the score but that game always has a place in my heart. I've stuck with the Tigers since then, and my loyalty has never wavered. I go to a handful of games every year with mom and dad and my grandmother, who at the young age of 90 something can tell you every stat of every Tiger player since the 1920s.

Baseball and hockey the only sports I enjoy.

[Gin and Tonic Sky]

I've been a Detroit Tigers fan since my daddy sat me in his lap to watch the game on the tube.

My first game in person was in the summer of 1984, I was eleven.

The Tigers were HUGE in 1984. They started something like 35 W - 5 L that year - I still dont thing anyone has ever beat a start like that !

[conversationpc]

However, this kind of post is what sticks in the craw of other baseball fans (yeah the Spankee fans do the same thing). It's just a little too loud.

Point taken, didn't mean to denegrate any other team or their fans- ALL of which I in fact think are absolutley great , and worthy of shouting about. Heck Im just wildly exuberant about the sport in general- Its pure art to me - Im the kind of guy who can watch a handful of kids I dont know play ball in a dirt field using frisbees as bases and think its exciting !

I love baseball as well, though my excitement has been dulled a bit by all the steroids controversy. I'm still excited, though, and currently following the gamecast for the Sox vs. A's game on espn.com.

[Gin and Tonic Sky]

However, this kind of post is what sticks in the craw of other baseball fans (yeah the Spankee fans do the same thing). It's just a little too loud.

Point taken, didn't mean to denegrate any other team or their fans- ALL of which I in fact think are absolutley great , and worthy of shouting about. Heck Im just wildly exuberant about the sport in general- Its pure art to me - Im the kind of guy who can watch a handful of kids I dont know play ball in a dirt field using frisbees as bases and think its exciting !

I love baseball as well, though my excitement has been dulled a bit by all the steroids controversy. I'm still excited, though, and currently following the gamecast for the Sox vs. A's game on espn.com.

I'm impressed by these fans in Toyko. I would have thought they'd be purely partisan - cheering for Dice K. But they showed real class by cheering as loud as they did for the A's when they scored two in the first - looks like a fun atmosphere.

[Enigma869]

As a kid who walked into Fenway Park for the first time in 1975, I agree that it's a truly magical place. I think the most striking thing about Fenway for the uninitiated is just how small the park is, and how close everything is. There are only three stadiums in baseball that are considered "hallowed ground"...Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium, and Fenway Park. Every other stadium is "just a park".

Football will ALWAYS be my first love and will ALWAYS be the most popular sport in this country. Having said that, the Patriots have NEVER evoked the emotion in me that the Red Sox have. I think it really all comes down to the endless years of suffering that the Red Sox put me through. There is an emotional connection to the Red Sox that I simply don't have to any other team. When they lose, it's personal. When they lose to the Yankees, life sucks As I've said since 2004...I can now finally die in peace, and I NEVER have to listen to another jackass Yankee fan utter "1918" to me, EVER again! Now I get the pleasure of saying "2004" to them, to remind them of the most historical collapse in the history of baseball. As they say in the Mastercard commercial...That is priceless!


John from Boston

[Squidward24]

The Tigers were HUGE in 1984. They started something like 35 W - 5 L that year - I still dont thing anyone has ever beat a start like that !

I was too young at the time to understand the significance of that record, but looking back at it now I see how huge of a streak that was. I just called my grandmother (who was with us at that game), and she reminded me that we saw them play the Texas Rangers on July 21, 1984. The Tigers won 7-6 and were 65-29 in wins/losses.

[Moon Beam]

In 1984 I was also a big Detroit Tigers fan.
I proudly wore #8, Marty Castillo was my fave!

[Uno_up]

Thought I'd share this with y'all...
credit Greg Rosenthal of NBC on his gameday experience in Japan...MLB should take note here:

"The beer vendors are the single greatest improvement in Japanese baseball. Instead of cranky old men selling brew, beer is distributed by young women with Ghostbuster-like packs of beer on their back. They are fully outfitted by their employer (Kirin, Sapporo, Asahi, etc.) with bright colors and short shorts. They walk to the bottom of each row of seats roughly every three minutes, bow, then fill up everyone's cups with nozzles they keep to their side like holstered guns. Genius."

Every three minutes!!

[lights1961]

In 12 hours a new baseball season starts , this year a little early in Japan.

Red Sox vs A'S . Defence of the title, here we go

Any fellow citizens of the nation out there? Stand up and be couted! Tell us your story!

Mine starts on May 20 , 1986. Fenway park, Minnesota twins vs Red Sox. Family were on a vacation from Minnesota to the east coast and I walked in, a kid of 15, a Twins fan (had my first baseball experiences inside that great plastic dome called the Metrodome, and thats all I knew).

Sitting there at Fenway, all of the sudden comes the biggest fuckin conversion since St Paul got cobbered over the head by Christ and was told to get his shit straight. I sat there in right field and I had the biggest revelation I had in my young life (except for the first time I read playboy post - puberty of course, ) . This place was REAL, real baseball , real passion, this was what it was all about. Real religion. No plastic bubble, no plastic grass.
No need for 100 stanzas of Amazing Grace to get me to the altar, I threw that twins shit I was wearing away and was a new man by the seventh inning stretch. Never looked back.

86- It was kind of a rough year to get my citizenship!, but good things come to true believers.

American by birth, Red Sox Nation by the Grace of God. A fuckin-men!

been a twin fan since the old MET stadium days (where the mega mall stands now) it was 1969 drove up from lacrosse wi then--being 8 years old and the game was against the Yankees. Harmon Killerbrew
hit a home run that day!! FENWAY rocks though. In 84 at the dome we watched the yankees against the twins that day one of kirbys first games and the priest blessed him by saying
kirby my boy.... the rest was history...

and iam glad you threw your twins stuff out in 86... 87 was PURE MAGIC at the dome that year... went to 6 games that year (driving up from Des Moines) one weekend against the redsox in may 87 come backs every game and just knew then that the team was special... have the score card still in my scrap book--then went the last weeken against the royals.. after they clinched the division players came out and went around the field, gave speeches the crowd just ate it up!! the birth of the homer hanky started then!! BASEBALL ROCKS!!!

The twins could be a sleeper this year watch out, interesting moves but wise to get ride of johan now and not lose him to free agency. like they did with Hunter.

Rick

[Gin and Tonic Sky]

Thought I'd share this with y'all...
credit Greg Rosenthal of NBC on his gameday experience in Japan...MLB should take note here:

"The beer vendors are the single greatest improvement in Japanese baseball. Instead of cranky old men selling brew, beer is distributed by young women with Ghostbuster-like packs of beer on their back. They are fully outfitted by their employer (Kirin, Sapporo, Asahi, etc.) with bright colors and short shorts. They walk to the bottom of each row of seats roughly every three minutes, bow, then fill up everyone's cups with nozzles they keep to their side like holstered guns. Genius."

Every three minutes!!

Holy toledo !! Thats it , Im now officially a fan of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters!!! Im goin on a road trip to see em play.

Any body got any idea if they are any good??

[Gin and Tonic Sky]

In 12 hours a new baseball season starts , this year a little early in Japan.

Red Sox vs A'S . Defence of the title, here we go

Any fellow citizens of the nation out there? Stand up and be couted! Tell us your story!

Mine starts on May 20 , 1986. Fenway park, Minnesota twins vs Red Sox. Family were on a vacation from Minnesota to the east coast and I walked in, a kid of 15, a Twins fan (had my first baseball experiences inside that great plastic dome called the Metrodome, and thats all I knew).

Sitting there at Fenway, all of the sudden comes the biggest fuckin conversion since St Paul got cobbered over the head by Christ and was told to get his shit straight. I sat there in right field and I had the biggest revelation I had in my young life (except for the first time I read playboy post - puberty of course, ) . This place was REAL, real baseball , real passion, this was what it was all about. Real religion. No plastic bubble, no plastic grass.
No need for 100 stanzas of Amazing Grace to get me to the altar, I threw that twins shit I was wearing away and was a new man by the seventh inning stretch. Never looked back.

86- It was kind of a rough year to get my citizenship!, but good things come to true believers.

American by birth, Red Sox Nation by the Grace of God. A fuckin-men!

been a twin fan since the old MET stadium days (where the mega mall stands now) it was 1969 drove up from lacrosse wi then--being 8 years old and the game was against the Yankees. Harmon Killerbrew
hit a home run that day!! FENWAY rocks though. In 84 at the dome we watched the yankees against the twins that day one of kirbys first games and the priest blessed him by saying
kirby my boy.... the rest was history...

and iam glad you threw your twins stuff out in 86... 87 was PURE MAGIC at the dome that year... went to 6 games that year (driving up from Des Moines) one weekend against the redsox in may 87 come backs every game and just knew then that the team was special... have the score card still in my scrap book--then went the last weeken against the royals.. after they clinched the division players came out and went around the field, gave speeches the crowd just ate it up!! the birth of the homer hanky started then!! BASEBALL ROCKS!!!

The twins could be a sleeper this year watch out, interesting moves but wise to get ride of johan now and not lose him to free agency. like they did with Hunter.

Rick

Don't get me wrong, though I stand by my Red Sox, I'm still happy to see the Twins do well- I was glad to see what happened in 87 and 91 After what our Vikings (who I still am a big fan of) do to break hearts in that state, Minnesota deserved the WS titles!! Big time

The Twins will always do ok- good coaching, great farm system.

[Uno_up]

In 12 hours a new baseball season starts , this year a little early in Japan.

Red Sox vs A'S . Defence of the title, here we go

Any fellow citizens of the nation out there? Stand up and be couted! Tell us your story!

Mine starts on May 20 , 1986. Fenway park, Minnesota twins vs Red Sox. Family were on a vacation from Minnesota to the east coast and I walked in, a kid of 15, a Twins fan (had my first baseball experiences inside that great plastic dome called the Metrodome, and thats all I knew).

Sitting there at Fenway, all of the sudden comes the biggest fuckin conversion since St Paul got cobbered over the head by Christ and was told to get his shit straight. I sat there in right field and I had the biggest revelation I had in my young life (except for the first time I read playboy post - puberty of course, ) . This place was REAL, real baseball , real passion, this was what it was all about. Real religion. No plastic bubble, no plastic grass.
No need for 100 stanzas of Amazing Grace to get me to the altar, I threw that twins shit I was wearing away and was a new man by the seventh inning stretch. Never looked back.

86- It was kind of a rough year to get my citizenship!, but good things come to true believers.

American by birth, Red Sox Nation by the Grace of God. A fuckin-men!

been a twin fan since the old MET stadium days (where the mega mall stands now) it was 1969 drove up from lacrosse wi then--being 8 years old and the game was against the Yankees. Harmon Killerbrew
hit a home run that day!! FENWAY rocks though. In 84 at the dome we watched the yankees against the twins that day one of kirbys first games and the priest blessed him by saying
kirby my boy.... the rest was history...

and iam glad you threw your twins stuff out in 86... 87 was PURE MAGIC at the dome that year... went to 6 games that year (driving up from Des Moines) one weekend against the redsox in may 87 come backs every game and just knew then that the team was special... have the score card still in my scrap book--then went the last weeken against the royals.. after they clinched the division players came out and went around the field, gave speeches the crowd just ate it up!! the birth of the homer hanky started then!! BASEBALL ROCKS!!!

The twins could be a sleeper this year watch out, interesting moves but wise to get ride of johan now and not lose him to free agency. like they did with Hunter.

Rick

Don't get me wrong, though I stand by my Red Sox, I'm still happy to see the Twins do well- I was glad to see what happened in 87 and 91 After what our Vikings (who I still am a big fan of) do to break hearts in that state, Minnesota deserved the WS titles!! Big time

The Twins will always do ok- good coaching, great farm system.
The Twins will

Twins have potential...but I think it's ridiculous for a small market club like the Twins to spend $13.66 million a year (15% of all salary) on a guy who pitches an inning (Joe Nathan) when your payroll will cap out around $80 million. He's a great closer, but they could have turned the job over to Neshek without skipping a beat. This signing will probably cause Pohlad's (the GM) ass to pucker and back away from the free agent bat they need. They do have many of their big bats (Mauer, Morneau, Young, and Cuddyer) signed through at least 2011 though, so they will be interesting to watch as they head into their new stadium in 2010.

[ProgRocker53]

I used to be a fan of both the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds back in the 90s, but in the past few years I haven't watched very much MLB. Maybe I should pick it back up again this year, I dig the sport immensely.

Fun Fact- I was the mascot of the Chillicothe Paints, "Chief Krazy Horse," for three years. The Paints are an independent minor league team based in Chillicothe, Ohio. Funnest job ever.

[Gin and Tonic Sky]

[ They do have many of their big bats (Mauer, Morneau, Young, and Cuddyer) signed through at least 2011 though, so they will be interesting to watch as they head into their new stadium in 2010.

The new stadium will really help the Twins. The Metrodome is a millstone (in more ways than just financial) around the neck of all three teams that play there (Twins , Vikings, and Gophers)

[lights1961]

[ They do have many of their big bats (Mauer, Morneau, Young, and Cuddyer) signed through at least 2011 though, so they will be interesting to watch as they head into their new stadium in 2010.

The new stadium will really help the Twins. The Metrodome is a millstone (in more ways than just financial) around the neck of all three teams that play there (Twins , Vikings, and Gophers)

exatly... and the dome is the WORST for baseball! you are so far away from the action even if your in the infield box seats. I am so pumped for outside baseball up there!!
it will bring back memories of the old park!!

Rick

[Gin and Tonic Sky]

[ They do have many of their big bats (Mauer, Morneau, Young, and Cuddyer) signed through at least 2011 though, so they will be interesting to watch as they head into their new stadium in 2010.

The new stadium will really help the Twins. The Metrodome is a millstone (in more ways than just financial) around the neck of all three teams that play there (Twins , Vikings, and Gophers)

exatly... and the dome is the WORST for baseball! you are so far away from the action even if your in the infield box seats. I am so pumped for outside baseball up there!!
it will bring back memories of the old park!!

Rick

Now all they need to do is get one for the vikings. A new stadium would revive the Vikings if they could get one. Opposing teams would show up and be frozen out (literally) by the end of the second quarter! These days its the Vikes who freeze to death when they go to Green Bay or Chicago.

[Angiekay]

In 12 hours a new baseball season starts , this year a little early in Japan.

Red Sox vs A'S . Defence of the title, here we go

Any fellow citizens of the nation out there? Stand up and be couted! Tell us your story!

Mine starts on May 20 , 1986. Fenway park, Minnesota twins vs Red Sox. Family were on a vacation from Minnesota to the east coast and I walked in, a kid of 15, a Twins fan (had my first baseball experiences inside that great plastic dome called the Metrodome, and thats all I knew).

Sitting there at Fenway, all of the sudden comes the biggest fuckin conversion since St Paul got cobbered over the head by Christ and was told to get his shit straight. I sat there in right field and I had the biggest revelation I had in my young life (except for the first time I read playboy post - puberty of course, ) . This place was REAL, real baseball , real passion, this was what it was all about. Real religion. No plastic bubble, no plastic grass.
No need for 100 stanzas of Amazing Grace to get me to the altar, I threw that twins shit I was wearing away and was a new man by the seventh inning stretch. Never looked back.

86- It was kind of a rough year to get my citizenship!, but good things come to true believers.

American by birth, Red Sox Nation by the Grace of God. A fuckin-men!

*sigh*

And here I was just starting to like you Midwest boy. But....you redeemed yourself by still being purple. ;P

[7 Wishes]

Don't get me wrong, though I stand by my Red Sox

So besides being a miscreant, a misquoter, and a misrepresenter, you're a bandwagon Sox fan too?

You are a knucklehead.

[Gin and Tonic Sky]

Don't get me wrong, though I stand by my Red Sox

So besides being a miscreant, a misquoter, and a misrepresenter, you're a bandwagon Sox fan too?

You are a knucklehead.

Hey easy my friend, miscreant, misquoter. misrepresenter- often, yes! . You can add cheat, hooligan, and all sorts of other insults!

But whoa- not a bandwagon Sox fan, I joined the "nation" when I saw the magic of Fenway. This was in the 80's back in the days when grown men were still crying in despair fearing we'd never win it all and that we'd be cursed for centruries.

[Rick]

mis·cre·ant Pronunciation[mis-kree-uhnt]

–adjective

1. depraved, villainous, or base.

2. Archaic. holding a false or unorthodox religious belief; heretical.


–noun

3. a vicious or depraved person; villain.

4. Archaic. a heretic or infidel.