Why do we forgive players?

[TheFens]

I am by no means complaining, I'm just curious as to why this always happens. In Boston, whenever a player blows it. Whenever they ruin a season and lead us to our doom, the fans always seem to forgive them, or for the next season at least.

In 87 Buckner was well recieved by the fans, after making that error. (side note, do you know he had 2715 hits in his career?). Last year Wake gave up the homerun to Boone and no one has any hard feelings against him now. In fact, we are all far from it. We praise him at every chance we get. (read this article: http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSo...?articleid=771).

Anyway, aren't we supposed to be a ruthless bunch in RSN, not tolerant of mistakes and unwilling to forgive. Sure Buckner takes a whole lot of flack now for what happened, but not from me. That game wasn't truly his fault, and he was a great great great player.

What is it then? Why aren't we the stereotypical assholes that we are supposed to be?

[dirtdogman5]

Well because managers lose games. We don't shower Wake with boos because everybody knows he had won 2 games in that series and the blame therefore has been placed on Grady Little's shoulders. I still hear people blame Buckner, but they also blame McNamara, Schiraldi, the curse, etc. And it's not only Boone and Buckner. Don't forget Armbrister, Galehouse, Pesky, Bob Gibson, and many more.

[RedSoxRooter]

Because we are not mean fans, we are smart and sarcastic fans... even jerks. But not truly mean - though we may want to act like it sometimes (Steroid chants!)

I think a lot of it has to do with perspective and time. Before the error, Billy Buck was loved. He killed the Yankees that year and Boston may not have made the playoffs without him. How could you not love a guy so hobbled but who played so hard and well despite it? After the error, RSN (much smaller then BTW) realised it was Buck/Mac/Stanley - well basically a team meltdown to another team that all along was supposed to win it all anyway. Didn't the Mets that year win 110 games??

Same thing with Wake. Without him there is no way there would have been a game 7. He should never have had the chance to pitch in that game. It was over. I also think that, if the Red Sox were going to lose that game, at 12pm that night the best option was to go with Wake. He had been on a great run and he could go long if he had to.

Wakes also got the luxury of that fascinating knuckleball. He's so good when it's on, but we all know the thing is floating up there on a wing and a prayer. If anything, blame the knuckleball and not the guy who threw it.

[yeszir]

Yea, we dont hate our own players for breaking our hearts as much as we hate players who desert us. Thats why we hate clemens so much.

[RedSoxRooter]

Did Mo get booed after he left? Those are my lost sox years...

[RedSoxRooter]

Originally posted by yeszir@Apr 17 2004, 12:31 PM
Yea, we dont hate our own players for breaking our hearts as much as we hate players who desert us. Thats why we hate clemens so much.

I think any Sox star or fan fav knows there really is only one thing that can make you a villain in our eyes. If you go to NY, you're selling out. And you deserve the boos.

Hell, even Tony Clark - a guy I pulled for to get out of his funk - is evil now that he's a Yankster.

[yeszir]

I dont mind Clark so much as Clemens. I'm glad that Clark is on the yankees actually, considering how much he sucked for us. Hopefully he causes problems for them.

[roary]

It's an interesting question. I'm glad that we dont give our guys hell all the time, it makes the whole experience that much more enjoyable.

Only the traiterous vilains deserve to be booed.