Yankee outfielder documents suckage of Red Sox for young fan
Amusing story in the Boston Herald today about 10-year-old Red Sox fan Griffin Whitman, who attended his first Yankees vs. Red Sox game on Friday. Afterward, he managed to snag Yankee outfielder Shelley Duncan for an autograph — and the picture at right shows what Griffin wrote:
“Red Sox Suck! Shelley Duncan.”
The kid soon called the waaaahmbulance, and his mom had this to say: “This is someone who wears the Yankee uniform and is on the payroll and should be setting an example for 10-year-olds.”
My thoughts:
1. While I don’t follow sports very closely, it is my understanding that the Red Sox do, in fact, suck.
2. The antagonism between the Yankees and the Red Sox has existed for decades. If you show up wearing Red Sox paraphernalia and ask a Yankee for his autograph, you get what you deserve. I mean, what did he expect? “Thanks for supporting a team that hates us! After shouting obscenities at me and my fellow players for nine innings, I’m glad you took the time to request my autograph! Love, Shelley Duncan.”
3. If the kid were a TRUE Red Sox fan, he wouldn’t even WANT a Yankee’s autograph. A true fan would pretend to want it just so he could get close enough to break the Yankee’s kneecap.
4. “Shelley”? Really? Huh.
September 17th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
IMO perhaps the mom should encourage her boy to get a real hero as a role model and not someone who can throw a ball well, maybe someone with character…or she should encourage her boy to get a sense of humor.
Of course they could always sue for emotional damage…
I wonder which option they will pick???
September 17th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
The Red Sox actually have the best record in the MLB right now, 4.5 games ahead of the Yankees. Also, they are only a few years removed from their last World Series. It has been longer for the Yanks.
I have no real affinity for either the Yanks or the Sox.
Eric,
I like you as a humor writer, but not a Sports Writer! I go elsewhere for my sports!
(Mostly I am kidding here, poking fun at my own comment several posts ago- the Cheney one).
September 17th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Eric, thoughts number 2-4 are reasonable and right. However, on number one you are way off base!!!! The Red Sox are awesome!!!! They are great! You are so totally wrong…..WRONG!
September 17th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
I don’t care much about baseball, but that story is hilarious.
September 17th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
“mommy”: For one thing, the guy obviously ISN’T the kid’s hero, since he plays for the Yankees. For another thing, your comment implies that a baseball player can’t be a real hero, and I suspect a lot of people would disagree with you on that.
Everyone else: My understanding is that the Red Sox sucking has nothing to do with how well they’re currently playing. It’s a general thing. They suck because, well, they just do. Don’t ask me to explain it.
September 17th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
Eric, I’m suggesting the kid should learn to value people for their character and not their athletic prowess…I’m not saying athletic prowess and character are incompatable. I am saying batting average does not necessarily correlate with admirable qualities. Why not actually learn about a person’s actual character…then start the hero worship? Why seek a players autograph just to have it…then expect the same random player to also have character? STUPID.
I’m also saying that assuming because someone is paid a lot of money they must also be a good role model is stupid…Shelley is not paid to be a good role model to 10 year old boys…he is paid to catch, throw and hit small round balls. Athletics is rediculously over emphasized and over admired in our culture.
—From a person who earned her way through college hitting, passing and serving larger white balls–and is now a mother of 7.5 with the verticle of an ant.
September 17th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Hey Eric , Obviously your a Geek and dont know sh** about baseball. It was unprofessional and immature for some kid who makes millions of dollars to be a complete disrespecting jack*** (like yourself) to some little kid who no matter what looks up to all pro players and wanted his autograph ….. Sox - Yanks games are the biggest and best rivalry in sports …along with the hate comes straight up respect from both sides…….Get with it moron. The only one who Sucks around here is you ……….Hopefully that autograph becomes famous and makes the kid some bucks down the road….. Now go back to your bedroom at your parents house and type something real.
September 17th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
Baseball… meh.
September 17th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
Boston Eric, is that a serious post??? Good gravy I could feel the rage through my computer screen
September 17th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
While an avid BoSox fan myself, I still think that’s a pretty awesome autograph. Not only is it the autograph, but evidence of a century-long rivalry that can’t be topped anywhere else in baseball. I dare say that that autograph WILL be worth something some day, and not because he called waaaaaaaambulance (I actually liked that movie–thought it was cute). It is baseball fanaticism to its core.
September 17th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
Wow, such anger about a funny story. Maybe it’s because I don’t take sports seriously. Despite that, I’d love to have an autograph like that (or if I had kids, I’d love for them to have it). It’d probably go for lots of money on ebay, or I’d just keep it because I’d laugh the every time I looked at it.
September 17th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
Hey Boston Eric, I love the Sox and hate the Yankees, but you suck.
Your post is proof that you people (you and Yankee fans) are really alike in that you all take yourselves and your teams too seriously. Instead of just having another detail in the rich history of the rivalry, you and your ilk ruin it by getting offended.
As a Dodger fan it would give me no greater joy than to have some a-hole like Barry Bonds or Barry Zito write “Dodgers Suck” on a notebad.
And let’s not forget for most of the past 100 years, the Red Sox really did suck, especially when it came to game 7.
September 18th, 2007 at 5:51 am
Griffin Whitman and mom: Get a freakin’ grip.
Shelly Duncan: Nice name. Yankees suck.
Eric: Thanks for bringing humor to an otherwise humorless group of people.
September 18th, 2007 at 8:36 am
People still play baseball? I gave that up when I was like, 12. That’s when I discovered girls and Real Life.
October 6th, 2007 at 11:29 pm
It is a fact that the Red Sox suck. 80 years to win a championship says so. What the **** did this kid expect? He got what he deserved in my eyes. And to the Mom: Duncan is getting paid to play Major League Baseball not tend to your child’s emotional needs.