Just this past Monday, both MLB baseball clubs in the fine City of Chicago were to take the field in the hopes of scoring more runs than their opponents. Same town, same weather, one team played, one didn’t. Just happens that the squad that we follow decided that a few inches of snow would not stop baseball that day. So as that unfolded a curious situation arose, Sox fans started calling out Cubs fans for their team not playing while the Sox were. Now don’t get me wrong, it is quite curious that the south siders seem to play through just about anything. Christ, it was SNOWING during the home opener and the game didn’t even get delayed, while the boys up north once called a game for rain and it didn’t even rain (5/20/17). Look it up, no fooling. What I found most interesting that evening (as me and my toddler daughter went to the game) was that most of the fighting went on between people that DIDN’T EVEN GO TO THE GAME.

Listen, I tend to not take credit or rip on someone for something that I’ve never done. I need to be directly involved in something before I use it to my advantage, just how I am. As I said, I was at that game and never called anyone a wussy, Sox or Cubs fan. But yet all these folks (and with an estimated attendance of less than 1k there are plenty of you internet badasses stealing valor) are talking mad shit but yet you didn’t show up either. I can hear you already, “I work MSS, I have a job” which is a reasonable excuse that can be used. BUT DON’T TALK SHIT! I know it’s hard cause we really don’t get alot of shots to give the north siders shit, but you gotta save it, if you yourself didn’t make it to the game that day either. I’d even go as far to say that I respect the jagoff Cubs fans that attended our game that day (just to be assholes, and yes you were assholes) a little more than the keyboard warriors. Just chill a bit Sox fans, that’s all.

Predictably, the Cubs fans talking shit fired back at Sox fans with all types of numbers that may mean something to them (attendance, ticket prices, ticket resale prices, what year they last won a trophy) but really do nothing for them in 2018. Attendance, as many folks have said before me, doesn’t win championships. If it did, instead of participation ribbons, Cubs would have won a trophy in that 108 (we know) year gap. But again, do we really expect anything else from a fan base who’s majority has no clue who Leon Durham is?

What other things can we talk about? Oh shit the list is growing by the day! I read a bunch of tweets and posts on the FB. As high as some were pre-season on this club they are performing just like we at the 108 thought they would. I know it’s fun to see young talent being accuired but the hard reality is that Burger and Cease are still years away from taking the field. We might get a glimpse of Kopech and Eloy by the end of the year, but if we continue this trend, why risk it? It’s gonna take time folks, and you need to settle the fuck down, especially during the 1st month of the season.

At SoxFest this year alot of folks said to me that they expected to contend for the Wild Card this season. I usually responded with “Really? Really?!??! Who’s our 5th starter? Who’s our catcher? Do we even have a closer?” which was met with some blank stares and then I would hear “Well, at least we’ll be better than last year”. Listen, I am not saying it can’t happen (which is the theory/strategy we are employing in the 108 whilst buying multiple Sox Split tickets), but we’re paper thin at spots and have almost no one that can come off the bench in some positions. Yes, Tyler Saladino can play about every position on the field, but do we really want him to? Does Nicky really play a mean left field? Hell no, but he has to be there, we have no one else.

What I will say the attitude of this team is as good as it was last year. They are gelling off the field and seem to have some real fun while they are on the field. STORY TIME!

I remember back in the day one kid on my little league team used to skip to right field every inning. He would have skipped to 1st too, but the coach would have killed him. He for sure skipped up and down the floor while we played basketball (and he routinely shot at the wrong basket). I bring this up because while he wasn’t a great player, he had a fucking fantastic time playing sports. While people that had better game, but had shittier attitudes, just didn’t have that great of a time.

So while this team is getting their shit handed to them on the daily, they never give up and they continue to have great times in that dugout. I think that is an important lesson to learn that will help them later, no doubt. What else we got? Oh yeah, Yoan.

Yoan Moncada is getting ROASTED by Sox “fans” everywhere. I ask this, what did you expect? We are literally playing a game that offensively if you FAIL 7 outta 10 times you are KILLING IT stats wise. He’s starting in his first full year with a MLB club. 2nd year with the team. No, he’s not having a great year. But yet the year isn’t even close to being over, in fact it’s barely begun. But we should trade this asshole right? Christ almighty.

Some of the same people that are roasting Yoan are high as fuck on Matty D. Do you know how long it took Matty D to make a MLB team? DO YOU? YEARS BRO, YEARS. So give him some goddamn time. Yoan slayed too much in the minors and needed to learn in the MLB. He’s gonna struggle, he will come out ok though. Trust me. But don’t let his choice of cars sway you the other way.

Ok, last thing, I know you are reading this and you are thinking I am telling you how to fan. No, I am not. I am just preventing you from looking like a d-bag and giving you a ton of fire power for when you need it. That is not what this blog is about, trust me. Our buddy Joe with P&P just posted about it today, early in the year the “fans” like to proclaim how much they know how to fan better than you. Well, they are wrong, and most of those guys claiming to be huge fans, really aren’t. #insecurity

Ever heard “the bark is bigger than the bite”? That is what I see when I read the multiple posts on the P&P or Twitter about how to fan correctly. Listen, we all have our views and standards on who fans well and who doesn’t. Just because you have been a fan longer, been to more games, know more people, have more memorabilia, have more jerseys, you name it, doesn’t mean you have more pride or passion than the guy in Texas that has never been to a game but follows all of them. It’s a bad look when you toot your own horn in a public forum, but that is just me. You do you and let other people do their thing. I’d love to see some of you manage a team, ask Hawk how that worked out for him. And Hawk had certified experience!

In conclusion, pipe down and chill. Recognize that this might be the hardest year of our rebuild or at the very least wait till September to lose your shit. It’s gonna be a long year, as the 108 predicted, but it will be worth it when we add that new hardware.

-MSS

PS – We have 4 (FOUR) hoodies left. Buy them up, maybe we’ll make more. Visit our store here! Add on a t-shirt or a hat! I’d like this stuff on your back and not in my basement.

Mark your calendars for June 16th as that will be our meet-up with other Twitter folks at Baderbrau. It will be a post game (game is at 1pm) drink session and we’ll even have a roundtable to listen to. The SoxFest one was so awesome we decided to do it again. Come get hammered with us and take a Lyft home! Tix in the 108 are only $20, so buy them up!