3-pointer by Gary WhittakerPoint 1 - Red Sox Win! Red Sox Win!
There will NOT be a bigger sporting event this year than
saga that was 200 ALCS between little Red Sox team defeating big bad Yankees. The stories involve Pedro Martinez calling whole damn Yankees as his "Daddy", to Mariano Rivera coming back to pitch in game 4 after 2 "shocking" deaths in his wife's family. From Schilling making baseball a MAN'S sport by pitching off a bleeding ankle, to Red Sox making HISTORY with 1st EVER come from behind 0 games to 3 to win best of 7 game series. If it took a home run race between McGuire and Sosa to break all-time record to bring life back to baseball, 2004 ALCS will be known for bringing excitement back to a nation that was in dire need of a diversion from 9/11, Presidential debates, and war. Although this battle was a far cry from a David vs. Goliath, people still tried to make it seem as though it was. New York had history, tradition, and Curse of Bambino on their side, not to mention a 182 MILLION dollar payroll (that's in 1 baseball season folks!). The little old Red Sox had only 125 Million dollar payroll (number 2 after Yankees, and another 24 million ahead of number 3 Angels), an almost 9 decade drought, and that big curse against them. It will be interesting to now see what comparisons are drawn to a Cardinal team that is near middle of pack (11th overall) with a whopping 50 million dollars less than Red Sox. I think this one will be over when fat lady sings, as Sox will be Fat Lady making fried chicken out of Cardinals.
Point 2 - Big Cecil, Big Debts
Detroit loved Cecil Fielder, who made over 47 million dollars during his career as a major leaguer. Cecil "Big Daddy" Fielder was one of first in modern day era to bring Home Run hitting over 50 mark in 1990, something that had not been done in American League for almost 30 years. 13 seasons, 319 Home Runs, 1 World Series ring, and 47 million dollars later, Big Daddy is in hiding over debts owed to various groups or people. For average man, it is unfathomable that someone who can own a 50 bedroom house, purchased for only 3.7 million (less than 10% of his career earnings), can now be over 9 million dollars in debt...and in hiding. With Cecil in midst of a divorce, we can only hope that Cecil gets help he needs, declares bankruptcy, and moves on. The life of luxury may be over for him, but that does not mean he needs to ruin rest of it.
