Sports Film Features Valuable Lessons

Okay, so it’s a week later, and I’m finally ready to admit something … I concede that the Red Sox won the World Series. There I said it. I hope you’re happy.

After Game Three of the American League Championship Series that admissions seemed about as realistic as, well, the Red Sox winning the World Series. But now, after a week of disbelief, I’ve come to terms with the Yankees’ failure and I’m moving on. I’m in a better place right now. I’m feeling good about me. I also feel that as a Yankee fan it’s my utmost responsibility to keep fanning the flames of this rivalry, now that it actually is a rivalry and not an annual slaughter.

First, let’s talk about the absolute pathetic showing by the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. This is one of the reasons it took me so long to come to grips with all these pigs fluttering around outside my window. I mean, really, that World Series shouldn’t even count. No team could play as badly as the Cards did and they seriously should be ashamed. Boston committed eight errors in the first two games, including Manny Ramirez’s acrobatic Cirque du Suckitude in left field, against the most potent lineup in baseball and still won. Pathetic. I can’t remember a more boring World Series. I know that Boston fans will say that degree of difficulty doesn’t matter or boast that the Sox were just that much better than that Cards (they weren’t), but to me that win seems a little hollow after the most epic ALCS ever. You Sox fans a little burned yet? No? Okay, let’s move to the off-season.

Through the sheer genius of former Red Sox GM Dan Duquette, Boston has a whopping 17 potential free agents this season and just about all of them were vital to the World Series win.

Shortstop Orlando Cabrera, starting pitchers Derek Lowe and Pedro Martinez, relief pitcher Scott Williamson and catcher Jason Varitek (dubbed by many to be the heart-and-soul of the team) are all among the free agent class, and will all be looking for significant raises. Cabrera has already talked about returning to the Expos, now that they’ve relocated to D.C. Lowe will want a huge salary increase after a stunning postseason — whether or not he deserves it after another mediocre-to-abysmal regular season is another issue. Varitek is a Scott Boras client, and baseball fans know that that means a hefty contract. And finally, Pedro has apparently already been targeted by Yankees’ owner George Steinbrenner and might be ready to come home to Papa.

Meanwhile the Empire is not sitting on its hands. Virtually every sports pundit has already put Houston’s Carlos Beltran in Yankee pinstripes for next year. Talk is swirling about Javier Vazquez and Jorge Posada being dealt to either Arizona or Oakland for Randy Johnson or Tim Hudson and if that doesn’t materialize, they’ll throw heaps of cash at Carl Pavano and Eric Milton.

As a Yankee fan I don’t want to see Pedro in pinstripes. I don’t want them to deal Jorge Posada. But there is a cathartic sense that comes with change. It’s sort of like moving on after breaking up with your girlfriend. Yeah, you liked her. But you go out and you find someone who looks essentially the same as the last object of your affection, but with smarter pitching and bigger knockers in the middle of the order. With boyfriends and girlfriends the cliché tells us there’s always more fish in the sea. In baseball that also holds true. And if there’s one thing the Red Sox have taught me … there’s always next year.

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The Washington Baseball team took a big step towards assembling their 2005 team by hiring former Reds general manager Jim Bowden to serve as the team’s interim GM until the team is sold. Bowden said in a conference call interview Tuesday that he has no intention of taking the position long term, but he will do his best to strengthen the team in while he’s there. Already he’s spoken with Manager Frank Robinson about the Major League roster’s strengths and short comings and has spoken with two other GMs about a potential trade.

Bowden sited a glaring hole in the lineup at short stop, but also signaled his desire to land a few middle of the order hitters and batters capable of reaching base for sluggers Jose Vidro and Brad Wilkerson. Bowden, who developed a successful farm system in Cincinnati that yielded Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns, will work out of the team’s spring training facilities in Florida.

Robinson, whose contract expires Dec. 31, has indicated that he will shortly begin talks with Bowden to renew his contract, though nothing has been confirmed as of yet.

Mike Hume may be emailed at mhume@fcnp.com